difference between Index and vlookup , If and conditional formatting

[sriku]

could any one please explain me the difference between vlookup and Index and when I can we use that ?

could any one please explain me the difference between if condition and conditional formatting ?

[rcm]

I'll give it a try.

VLOOKUP is used to fetch a value from a table given a key (the first column).
INDEX fetches the value contained in a cell member of a range for the given row and column (mind that the upper righthand corner of the range is row=1, column=1)

Conditional Formatting can be set by using the excel menu choices
IF () can test a certain condition and display a value if the condition is met or another value if the condition is NOT met.

Yet, the best way to explain is with a sample...

[russc2541]

or, put differently:

VLOOKUP looks for a value in a table and returns a value on the same line from a different column.
INDEX returns the value at a cell address. You can make it work similarly to VLOOKUP by nesting MATCH functions in it. Can be more versatile than VLOOKUP.

Conditional formatting is an if-then but it isn't directly visible that way to the end user; it isn't a formula you can type in the cell. It's also limited to formatting the cells it's applied to.
IF is the basis of all computer programs. you can do just about anything with it.