UDF for dynamic custom lookup?

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Robin - 23 May 2008 18:56 GMT

I have a data range called Benefits. This range does not include the header
row - that is a seperate range named BenefitHeader. The data looks something
like this:

Name Owner Terminated Var1
LTC 0 12/31/2007 TRUE
LTC 0 TRUE
SRP 1 12/31/2007 EP
SRP 0 EP
SRP 1 S162
SRP 0 S162

I need to be able to lookup based on Name and any one or two of the other
columns within the named range (Currently, the columns used are A:IE and more
could be added at any time). To do a single lookup value I would just use
=VLOOKUP("LTC",Benefits,MATCH("terminated",BenefitHeader,0))
and that would get the first instance of LTC and pull the terminated value.
However, how would I get, for example, the terminated value for SRP where
owner is 1 and Var1 is S162? I'd like to do this without concatenating
columns, if
possible, because I want to keep it flexible when determining which columns
to use. I am open to adding a UDF where I pass it the column headings for
values I want to specify and the column heading for the value that I would
like to get. I think it must be possible but I don't know how to do it.
Any help will be appreciated!!

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Dave Peterson - 23 May 2008 19:54 GMT

You don't need a UDF for this.

====

Saved from a previous post:

If you want exact matches for just two columns (and return a value from a
third), you could use:

=index(othersheet!$c$1:$c$100,
match(1,(a2=othersheet!$a$1:$a$100)
*(b2=othersheet!$b$1:$b$100),0))

(all in one cell)

This is an array formula. Hit ctrl-shift-enter instead of enter. If you do it
correctly, excel will wrap curly brackets {} around your formula. (don't type
them yourself.)

Adjust the range to match--but you can only use the whole column in xl2007.

This returns the value in othersheet column C when column A and B (of
othersheet) match A2 and B2 of the sheet with the formula.

And you can add more conditions by just adding more stuff to that product
portion of the formula:

=index(othersheet!$d$1:$d$100,
match(1,(a2=othersheet!$a$1:$a$100)
*(b2=othersheet!$b$1:$b$100)
*(c2=othersheet!$c$1:$c$100),0))

> I have a data range called Benefits. This range does not include the header
> row - that is a seperate range named BenefitHeader. The data looks something
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
> like to get. I think it must be possible but I don't know how to do it.
> Any help will be appreciated!!

Signature

Dave Peterson

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Dave Peterson - 23 May 2008 20:05 GMT

I see you have an active thread elsewhere.

> You don't need a UDF for this.
>
[quoted text clipped - 57 lines]
>
> Dave Peterson

Signature

Dave Peterson

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Robin - 23 May 2008 22:37 GMT

Yes, I thought maybe different people look at the different forums. I will
try your solution and see if it works. Thanks!!

> I see you have an active thread elsewhere.
>
[quoted text clipped - 59 lines]
> >
> > Dave Peterson

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Dave Peterson - 23 May 2008 23:46 GMT

It's the same solution as you got in the other newsgroup.

> Yes, I thought maybe different people look at the different forums. I will
> try your solution and see if it works. Thanks!!
[quoted text clipped - 66 lines]
> >
> > Dave Peterson

Signature

Dave Peterson

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Bernie Deitrick - 23 May 2008 20:27 GMT

Robin,

See my reply in worksheetfunctions, though it is a VBA solution (a UDF).

HTH,
Bernie
MS Excel MVP

>I have a data range called Benefits. This range does not include the header
> row - that is a seperate range named BenefitHeader. The data looks something
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
> like to get. I think it must be possible but I don't know how to do it.
> Any help will be appreciated!!

Reply to this Message