Vlookup/lookup lastest entry excluding blanks

[dominion]

Hi All,

would really appreciate help for this. I tried searching the old threads which gave me results for getting the latest entry, but i need to look up the latest entry excluding the blanks. For example


A 12-Jan-12
B 13-Jan-12
A 15-Feb-12
B 16-Feb-12
C 16-Feb-12
A
B
C

I need to be able to get the result for A as 15-Feb-12 and B as 16-Feb-12 even though there are blank entries corresponding to A and B further down.
The Answer is =MAX(IF(A1=$A$1:$A$8,$B$1:$B$8)) Confirm with Ctrl+Shift+Enter not just Enter


However, I would like to know how I can do so for entries across two different spreadsheets in the same file?
The code I'm using now is =MAX(IF("Itemname"='2012'!$B$6:$B$250,'2012'!$H$6:$H$250)), i'm looking for the entry in spreadsheet 2012, but how can i include entires in spreadsheet 2011 as well?

[Ace_XL]

If your dates are always listed in ascending order you could use

=MAX(IF(A1=$A$1:$A$8,$B$1:$B$8))

Conmfirm with Ctrl+Shift+Enter not just Enter

[dominion]

What would the difference be between CTRL+Shift+Enter and just Enter?

Thanks!

[Ace_XL]

The formula is an array formula and hence needs to confirmed with Ctrl+Shift+Enter

Some reading on array formulae here
http://www.cpearson.com/excel/ArrayFormulas.aspx
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/ex...001087290.aspx

[dominion]

Thanks a lot! It's solved now!

[Cutter]

@ dominion

Welcome to the forum.

Based on your last post it seems that you are satisfied with the solution(s) you've received but you haven't marked your thread as SOLVED. I'll do that for you now but please keep in mind for your future threads that Rule #9 requires you to do that yourself. If your problem has not been solved you can use Thread Tools (located above your first post) and choose "Mark this thread as unsolved".
Thanks.

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[dominion]

updated for follow up question on original question

thanks a lot guys!