Text & Number formats for Vlookups

[Guest]

I have a number of lookups which are looking at codes (item numbers)
downloaded predominantly as CSV files. After I've saved them to excel file
format I then use a series of lookups to extract data for reports.

I am having trouble with some lookups where I have to merge some cells to
achieve a string ( using =trim; =left; =mid; and then merge the cells ie
=A1&A2&A3 to achieve the string I require ) the lookups all rum form these
strings. In some cases thoough. If I format string as a number, some lookups
will work, if I format string as text, others will work but not altogether.
My question is; How can I check that all my strings are in the same format
si i can get them all to work?
Please bear in mind I have some 15 download sheets, each containing some
4,500 codes in each sheets, and then some 30 odd sheets with the lookups to
extract the data I require. I guess I will have to ensure these are all in
the same format as source sheets. If someone can give me a quick fix, would
be appreciated.

Many thanks

Pete

 

[Peo Sjoblom]

=VLOOKUP(--(TRIM(A1&A2&A3)),Lookup_Table,2,0)

as an example should make the lookup value a number unless it has invisible
text in it and then it will return a value error

 

[Guest]

-- Thanks Peo, not sure it's what I'm after but will give it a go at work
tomorrow,

regards

I''''m just a soul whose intentions are good . . . . . . . . . . .