Help with LOOKUP

[mulji.hafeez]

Hi
So I know that VLOOKUP Uses the first column to search for a value and
then looks to columns to its right for the return value.
LOOKUP allows for any columns to be used for the search value and any
other column for the return value.
I have used LOOKUP but am receiving errors with the return values
because the Search Value Column is not sorted.
I have a file with employee numbers and names and other information
that need to be sorted by number and another workbook which is for
input but the input is by employee name and I want the employee number
to show up automatically.
Using LOOKUP I'm getting some wrong values due to the simple fact that
the employee names are not sorted alphabetically in the previous
workbook.
Is there a fix for this? Or a better way to have the employee number
automatically inputted when the name is entered?

Thanks For your help.

 

[Melissa]

I think your question can be answered if you specified your vlookup formula
to only return values which match exactly. Thus, your formula should look
something like this:
=vlookup(A1, C1:E10, 2, 0)

The "0" at the end indicates an exact match is required.

 

[mulji.hafeez]

I think your question can be answered if you specified your vlookup formula
to only return values which match exactly. Thus, your formula should look
something like this:
=vlookup(A1, C1:E10, 2, 0)

The "0" at the end indicates an exact match is required.






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hey melissa thanks for the response

the problem i have is that i cannot use VLOOKUP because the names im
searching are in column E and the employee numbers are in Column A in
one workbook and are sorted by column A.

The second workbook is for daily input and the employee should enter
their name and automatically have their employee number show up in the
column beside it.

vlookup doesnt work for me because when im searching their names in
the previous workbook to match an employee number it is not in Column
A but rather in Column E.

Is there any way i can get around this as i cannot reformat the
workbooks?

 

[Melissa]

Oh! I think I know what you mean now: you want to look up a value in Column E
and get the respective value in Column A, i.e. returning a value to the LEFT
of the reference!
I'm so sorry but I'm stumped by this one. Am curious to see if other people
can provide a solution to this.

Good luck!

 

[Melissa]

Try this site. It uses a combination of index and match.
http://www.ozgrid.com/Excel/left-lookup.htm

 

[mulji.hafeez]

Try this site.  It uses a combination of index and match.http://www.ozgrid.com/Excel/left-lookup.htm










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thanks for the help melissa

that site was a great help i got it working...

just if you wanted to know my formula now looks like

=INDEX('[Workbook1.xlsx]Sheet1'!$A$3:$G
$42,MATCH(B2,'[Workbook1.xlsx]Sheet1'!$E$3:$E$42,0),1)

Thanks for the help again it was really helpful