vlookup

[Joseph M. Yonek]

I have a table that has the values that I want to base the vlookup on in the
second column and the information that I would like to return in the first.

Is there a way that I can have the formula return the value in the first
column?

Thanks in advance.

Joe

 

[Anon]

I have a table that has the values that I want to base the vlookup on in the
second column and the information that I would like to return in the first.

Is there a way that I can have the formula return the value in the first
column?

Not using VLOOKUP, as this must look up in the first column of a range and
return data from a subsequent column. However, you can achieve what you want
by combining MATCH and INDEX functions. Use MATCH to look for your base
value in the second column. (It returns the position where it finds a match,
so if you matched in B3:B13 and the match was in B6, it would return 4).
Then put this result into INDEX, for example to find the data in the fourth
cell of A3:A13.

 

[Vasant Nanavati]

Hi Joe:

Chip Pearson has a solution for you:

http://www.cpearson.com/excel/lookups.htm#LeftLookup

Regards,

Vasant.