matching fields between two workbooks

[Guest]

I have two work books. I am trying to find matching fields in workbook 2
using vlookup but I can only get it to work when I delete all text around the
field in question by using text to columns to separate out the record I am
after.

Is there a way of ignoring the text around the string I require?

Work book 1
YWB500220
Work book 2
(03)LR00:YWB500220 , VL00:30765034-AA , MA00H57-67730--Z01-

 

[Guest]

try
=vlookup("*"&(cell in WB1)&"*",range in WB2,column_no.,0)