Help! Forgot formula for auto copy of cell value...

[Stilla]

Hi...thanks in advance for your help.
Let's say I have two tabs. The formula is going in a cell B1 in tab1.

In Tab 2, col A contains names, col B contains address, col C contains
title...etc.

I would like to manually enter one of the names in Tab 1, cell A1, and have
cell B1 automatically copy the corresponding data from say, Col B in Tab 2.
No calculations, just straight copy.

(logic would be "if the value I entered in Tab1 A1 matches any of the names
in Tab2 Col A, then copy the person's address here).

I've used it before...and it's straightforward...but this old brain just
didn't hang on to it. This was not a code or macro thing...just a straight
formula you write in a cell.

THANKS EVER SO MUCH!!

 

[Sean Timmons]

=VLOOKUP(A1,Tab2!A:B,2,0) would do it.

=IF(A1="","",VLOOKUP(A1,Tab2!A:B,2,0)) would show a blank cell until you
enter a value in A1.

 

[Otto Moehrbach]

Look up VLookup in Help. HTH Otto

 

[Stilla]

Oh thank you for reminding me of Vlookup!!! For this the reference data
MUST be in the first column, right?

Is there any other formula for using any other column but the first as a
reference? Say, if a value in Col Z in Tab 2 is "Mr. Jones", then copy his
address from Col B in Tab2)

Thanks so much!

 

[Sean Timmons]

=INDEX(Tab2!A:Z,MATCH(A2,Tab2!Z:Z),2)

Should return your value.

this assumes your names in column Z are unique.

 

[Stilla]

Perfect! Just what I was looking for! Actually, I'm going to suggest that
we work from #ID numbers vs from names.....since names may not be unique.

Thanks a million!

 

[Sean Timmons]

ALWAYS use unique identifiers when possible. Avoids many issues.