Explain Function

[Dick7Access]

I am just starting to learn Excel. Can anyone explain to me what each part of this function does?
=VLOOKUP(E2,ProccessMainDataDick!$A$2:$A$322,1,FALSE)
Dick S.

 

[Beetle]

The syntax for VLookup is;

=VLOOKUP(lookup_value,table_array,col_index_num,range_lookup)

Definitions of the arguments is as follows;

   lookup_value The value to be found in the first column of the array.

   table_array  The table of information in which data is looked up.

   col_index    The column number in the table_array for which the
                matching value should be returned.

   range_lookup It is a logical value that specifies whether
                you want to find an exact match or an approximate match.
                If TRUE or omitted, an approximate match is returned; in
                other words, if an exact match is not found, the next
                largest value that is less than the lookup_value is
                returned. If FALSE, VLOOKUP finds an exact match. If an
                exact match is not found, the #N/A error value is returned.

So, breaking down your expression;

VLookup = Name of the funtion (in case you hadn't figured that part out yet )

E2 = The value from cell E2 will be used as the basis for the lookup

ProccessMainDataDick!$A$2:$A$322 = The range of cells that comprise the set of data you are searching in. In this case this seems odd because it is a single column. Normally you would search for the lookup_value in the first column and return a value from the same row in a different column.

1 = The column in the above range from which you want the matching value to be returned. Again, this would typically be a different column than the one
where the lookup_value is.

FALSE = Determines whether the lookup_value shoud be an exact match or an approximate match.

 

[Dick7Access]

The syntax for VLookup is;

=VLOOKUP(lookup_value,table_array,col_index_num,range_lookup)

Definitions of the arguments is as follows;

   lookup_value The value to be found in the first column of the array.

   table_array  The table of information in which data is looked up.

   col_index    The column number in the table_array for which the
                matching value should be returned.

   range_lookup It is a logical value that specifies whether
                you want to find an exact match or an approximate match.
                If TRUE or omitted, an approximate match is returned; in
                other words, if an exact match is not found, the next
                largest value that is less than the lookup_value is
                returned. If FALSE, VLOOKUP finds an exact match. If an
                exact match is not found, the #N/A error value is returned.

So, breaking down your expression;

VLookup = Name of the funtion (in case you hadn't figured that part out yet )

E2 = The value from cell E2 will be used as the basis for the lookup

ProccessMainDataDick!$A$2:$A$322 = The range of cells that comprise the set of data you are searching in. In this case this seems odd because it is a single column. Normally you would search for the lookup_value in the first column and return a value from the same row in a different column.

1 = The column in the above range from which you want the matching value to be returned. Again, this would typically be a different column than the one
where the lookup_value is.

FALSE = Determines whether the lookup_value shoud be an exact match or an approximate match.

I will study it.

 

[Brianwarnock]

Dick
Execl help is pretty good at explaining the worksheet functions, plus when you have a function in the formula bar clicking on thefx allows you to examine the formula, even its parts if it is a nested formula.

Brian

 

[Dick7Access]

Dick
Execl help is pretty good at explaining the worksheet functions, plus when you have a function in the formula bar clicking on thefx allows you to examine the formula, even its parts if it is a nested formula.

Brian

Thanks, that is something. I hadn't even noticed that "fx" before.