Multiple Tables for Lookup

[Guest]

I have created one table for looking up vehicle registrations in full:
row 2 shows abrviations for registration number and row 3 shows full registration number and telephone number for that vehicle. This table is called reg

row 4 shows initials and row 5 shows full name and telephone contact number
This table is called driver

i then entered in cell C3 and downwards vehicle registration abreviations and in the next column entered =LOOKUP(C3,reg) this worked ok and copied it don the column

I then entered in cell F3 and downwards drivers initials and in the next column entered =LOOKUP(F3,driver) - this worked only on some of the names not all

Are you not allowed to have multiple tables or should i be using another method for what i am trying to do

 

[Jim Rech]

The LOOKUP function is rather limited and rarely used. You're better off
with VLOOKUP and HLOOKUP since, for one thing, they allow you to have
unsorted index rows or columns.

I gather from what you wrote the that tables index across columns rather
than down rows. If so, try HVOOKUP. The formula I think you want in D3 is
=HLOOKUP(C3,reg,2,FALSE) and for the other cell:
=HLOOKUP(F3,driver,2,FALSE).

Check out this function in on-line Help so you understand it. The last
argument (FALSE, here) makes it do an exact (unsorted) look up.
--
Jim Rech
Excel MVP

|I have created one table for looking up vehicle registrations in full:
| row 2 shows abrviations for registration number and row 3 shows full
registration number and telephone number for that vehicle. This table is
called reg
|
| row 4 shows initials and row 5 shows full name and telephone contact
number
| This table is called driver
|
| i then entered in cell C3 and downwards vehicle registration abreviations
and in the next column entered =LOOKUP(C3,reg) this worked ok and copied it
don the column
|
| I then entered in cell F3 and downwards drivers initials and in the next
column entered =LOOKUP(F3,driver) - this worked only on some of the names
not all
|
| Are you not allowed to have multiple tables or should i be using another
method for what i am trying to do
|