How to use vlookup function to match across tables

The vlookup function is one of the most commonly used functions in Excel. It can help us find a specified value in a table and return the corresponding value in another table that matches the value. In this article, we will explore the use of the vlookup function, especially when performing cross-table matching.

First, let us learn the basic syntax of the vlookup function. In Excel, the syntax of the vlookup function is as follows:

=vlookup(lookup_value, table_array, col_index, range_lookup)

where:

• lookup_value: to be in the table The value to look for.
• table_array: The table area to be matched, including the value to be searched and the corresponding matching value.
• col_index: The number of columns where the corresponding value is to be returned. If the first column of table_array is a matching value, col_index is 1, the second column is 2, and so on.
• range_lookup: A Boolean value used to determine whether to perform an exact match. If TRUE, an approximate match is made; if FALSE, an exact match is made.

Next, we will use an example to demonstrate the use of the vlookup function. Suppose we have two tables, one is the product list table and the other is the price table. The product list table contains the product name and the corresponding product number, while the price table contains the product number and the corresponding price.

In this example, we need to find the corresponding product price in the price table based on the product number in the product list table.

First, we need to add a column to the product list table to store the product price. We can insert a column to the right of the third column to store prices. Then, enter the following formula in the first cell:

=vlookup(B2, price table!A:B, 2, FALSE)

This formula means: In the price table Find the value in the first column that matches cell B2 in the second column, and return the matching value in the second column. Since we want an exact match, the range_lookup parameter is set to FALSE.

Next, we need to drag or copy this formula to all cells in the product list table to apply the formula to the entire column.

Once we complete these steps, the third column in the item list table will display the item price corresponding to the item number.

It should be noted that if the product number in the product list table cannot find the corresponding price in the price table, the vlookup function will return the error value #N/A. This indicates that the item number does not exist in the price table, or there may be some other error.

In addition, there are some details that need attention. First, the vlookup function only works when the first column of the search area is a key value. Therefore, before using the vlookup function, we should adjust the column order of the search area to ensure that the target column is in the first column. Secondly, if we find duplicate values ​​in the search area, the vlookup function will return the first matching value encountered.

To summarize, by using the vlookup function, we can easily perform cross-table matching between different tables. Whether in business data analysis or daily work, the vlookup function is a very powerful and practical tool. Hope this article can help you better understand and apply the vlookup function.

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