Match and Index vs natural language referencing

[DianeG]

I have recently discovered cell referencing using labels ie you just type =
jan gin to find the intersecting values of the jan column and gin row. What
is the advantage of using the much more complicated Match and Index function?
Doesn't it do the same thing?

Thanks
Diane

 

[Chip Pearson]

The primary disadvantage of the "labels in formula" approach is that
the labels need to hard coded into the formula. With formula compose
of MATCH, INDEX, and OFFSET, you can have intermediate calculations
within the formula act as input to MATCH etc. This is vastly more
flexible and allows you to write much more powerful formulas.

Cordially,
Chip Pearson
Microsoft Most Valuable Professional
Excel Product Group, 1998 - 2009
Pearson Software Consulting, LLC
www.cpearson.com
(email on web site)

 

[Marcelo]

Debra Dalgleish has a lot of samples here



http://www.contextures.com/tiptech.html

hth

--
regards from Brazil
Thanks in advance for your feedback.
Marcelo



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