Vlookup Help

**Wskip49** · 06-26-2012, 07:40 PM

I have three columns of data, the fist column is dates. the second is day of week, and the third are abbreviations. I need to return the date based on the third column. I would like to have a vlookup that returns for the first column. Like Vlookup(A3,History,1,Flase).

**icestationzbra** · 06-26-2012, 07:44 PM

VLOOKUP cannot return values based on any other column than the left-most in the tableau. so, you can either move your 3rd column to the 1st column, or use INDEX / MATCH.

upload a sample file to get help setting that up.

**martindwilson** · 06-26-2012, 07:56 PM

you can use i this format
=VLOOKUP(D1,CHOOSE({1,2},C1:C1100,A1:A100),2,FALSE)

=VLOOKUP(D1,CHOOSE({1,2},abbrevrange,daterange),2,FALSE)

**icestationzbra** · 06-26-2012, 08:40 PM

... and i was just kidding about VLOOKUP not being able to do much

attaboy, mdw!

**vlady** · 06-26-2012, 08:57 PM

@wskip49

Just for thought...

If the data is from multiple columns in a lookup value, Index/Match is more efficient from what i know.
VLOOKUP and MATCH invokes the same routines so really no significant difference.(plain vlookup function)

try to experiment on using vlookup and index/match in a sample of your file, if who performs faster in your data then you use that.

@ martin, sir can you give us some more points with this regards using your formula, for the sake of learning....

**Cutter** · 06-26-2012, 09:23 PM

Looks like MDW is offline. NBVC used the formula earlier today and explained it. Maybe you could find his post. He did warn that it is not as efficient as INDEX() MATCH() so I don't see the point of it. He also gave credit for it to daddylonglegs.