Microsoft Excel 2010 : Building More Powerful Worksheets - Using Lookup and Reference Functions & Using Text Functions

Using Lookup and Reference Functions

You can use lookup and reference functions in Excel to easily retrieve information from a data list. The lookup functions (VLOOKUP and HLOOKUP) allow you to search for and insert a value in a cell that is stored in another place in the worksheet. The HLOOKUP function looks in rows (a horizontal lookup) and the VLOOKUP function looks in columns (a vertical lookup). Each function uses four arguments (pieces of data) as shown in the following definition: =VLOOKUP (lookup_value, table_array, col_index_num, range_lookup). The VLOOKUP function finds a value in the left-most column of a named range and returns the value from the specified cell to the right of the cell with the found value, while the HLOOKUP function does the same to rows. In the example, =VLOOKUP(12,Salary,2,TRUE), the function looks for the value 12 in the named range Salary and finds the closest (next lower) value, and returns the value in column 2 of the same row and places the value in the active cell. In the example, =HLOOKUP (“Years”,Salary,4,FALSE), the function looks for the value “Years” in the named range Salary and finds the exact text string value, and then returns the value in row 4 of the column.

Use the VLOOKUP Function

Create a data range in which the left-most column contains a unique value in each row.

Click the cell where you want to place the function.

Type =VLOOKUP(value, named range, column, TRUE or FALSE), and then press Enter.

Or click the Formulas tab, click the Look & Reference button, click VLOOKUP, specify the function arguments, and then click OK.

Use the HLOOKUP Function

Create a data range in which the uppermost row contains a unique value in each row.

Click the cell where you want to place the function.

Type =HLOOKUP(value, named range, row, TRUE or FALSE), and then press Enter.

Or click the Formulas tab, click the Look & Reference button, click HLOOKUP, specify the function arguments, and then click OK.

Lookup Function Arguments

Using Text Functions

You can use text functions to help you work with text in a workbook. If you need to count the number of characters in a cell or the number of occurrences of a specific text string in a cell, you can use the LEN and SUBSTITUTE functions. If you want to narrow the count to only upper or lower case text, you can use the UPPER and LOWER functions. If you need to capitalize a list of names or titles, you can use the PROPER function. The function capitalizes the first letter in a text string and converts all other letters to lowercase.

Use Text Functions

Create a data range in which the left-most column contains a unique value in each row.

Click the cell where you want to place the function.

Type = (equal sign), type a text function, specify the argument for the selected function, and then press Enter.

Some examples include:

• =LEFT(A4,FIND(“ ”,A4)-1)
  
  
• =RIGHT(A4,LEN(A4-FIND(“*”,SUBSTITUTE(A4,” “,”*”,LEN(A4)- LEN(SUBSTITUTE(A4,” “,””)))))
  
  
• =UPPER(A4)
  
  
• =LOWER(A4)
  
  
• =PROPER(A4)
  
  

Or click the Formulas tab, click the Text button, click a function, specify the function arguments, and then click OK.