Excel lookups should have a return paramater if not found

[LJ]

The VLOOKUP and HLOOKUP functions in excel return #N/A if the index is not
found in the search list. The parameters should allow you to return zero or
"" in these instances. This would remove the need for a great deal of
validation tests.

Ideally I would suggest the following syntax:

=VLOOKUP(A1,Table!A:N,5,NewParameter)

Where NewParameter could be a value, null, next (the closest value higher
than the search index) or previous (the closest value lower than the search
index)

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http://www.microsoft.com/office/com...dg=microsoft.public.excel.worksheet.functions

 

[Yanick]

The VLOOKUP and HLOOKUP functions in excel return #N/A if the index is not
found in the search list. The parameters should allow you to return zero or
"" in these instances. This would remove the need for a great deal of
validation tests.

Ideally I would suggest the following syntax:

=VLOOKUP(A1,Table!A:N,5,NewParameter)

Where NewParameter could be a value, null, next (the closest value higher
than the search index) or previous (the closest value lower than the search
index)

----------------
This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the
suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I
Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow this
link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then
click "I Agree" in the message pane.

http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx?mid=df3e....

I do not agree.

First of all, 0 (zero) is already used by Lookup as a return value if
the returned cell is blank. I do not see what will be the difference
if a other value then #N/A is returned for a no match. Also think
returning the closest value is not a good idea since "closest value"
can be interpreted in many ways (depending of the situation).

You might need to use a other function for your needs.

 

[Ms-Exl-Learner]

I won’t accept it.

INSTANCE 1:-
Assume that you are looking a value in table array and the resulting Column
doesn’t have any value then the vlookup will result you 0 (zero) value.
Generally it means that the lookup value is present on that table array but
there is no value found on the result column.

YOUR SUGGESTION:-
But in your case you have suggested that vlookup or hlookup should return 0
(zero) value if the lookup value is not present in table array means then how
we can come to know whether the lookup value is there in the table array or
not? Since both (INSTANCE1 and YOUR SUGGESTION) will result the same 0
(zero) value.

You can use IF & ISNA function in your Vlookup formula to get out of this
issue.

Like the below:-
=IF(ISNA(VLOOKUP(C1,A:B,2,FALSE)),"",VLOOKUP(C1,A:B,2,FALSE))

But I won’t suggest the below one. But you can arrive the 0 (zero) result
by using Vlookup with ISNA & IF function when the lookup value is not present
in the table array.
=IF(ISNA(VLOOKUP(C1,A:B,2,FALSE)),0,VLOOKUP(C1,A:B,2,FALSE))

All The Best!!!