Combining databases

[christine099]

How can I combine two excel spreadsheets? One contains about 300 names and
addresses. The other contains about 1000 names and other data for those
names. The 300 names from the first spreadsheet are among the 1000 in the
second.

 

[Dan]

Christine,

You can use the brute-force =VLOOKUP command.

1. Sort the 1000 record database according to whatever matches in the 300
record database. Let's say it is 'NAME'. Make sure NAME is the first column
of the 1000 record database. Let's also assume NAME is the first column of
the 300 record database. Both databases start in column A.

2. Let's say you need the value of 'PHONE', and 'PHONE' is the... sixth
column of the 1000 record database.

3. The 300 record database is in Sheet1, and the 1000 recird database is in
Sheet2

4. Use this function: =vlookup(A1,Sheet2!$a$1:$J$1000,6,FALSE), where:

A1 = the cell containing the match between the two databases.
Sheet2!$a$1:$J$1000 = The range of the second database.
6 = I want the value in the sixth column
FALSE = Return an error if I do not find a matching record.

Cheers!

--Dan

 

[Shane Devenshire]

Hi,

For exact matches, which is what you are doing, there is not need to short
the data.

The lookup column in the second table must be to the left of the data you
want returned. That is Name must be to the left of Zip Code. VLOOKUP only
looks to the right, for other situations we would use MATCH and OFFSET or
INDEX.