Much better Vlookup Alternative to search Fuzzy Text

[fleyd]

Hi,

I have a file that compares the names of products in 1 collumn (products clients request) to other collumn (Database) and retrieves the code of the product. The problem is that many times the requested products are not described as the exact words as the names in my database. Vlookup is not a good option, i have tried many "variations" of that formula and it only works acceptable sometimes.

I have found a great way, using Excel Powerups Suite, i can use a function pwrvlookup and in the function i can define how much accurate i want the search to be, 90%, 80% etc... It works very good, but it´s a payed software that will work only for a limited time...


Anyone knows a free alternative? Im sure it could be replicated with a macro, but i dont really understand VBA to be changing the code all time time in order to change accuracy...
Can anyone explain me if, it would be possible to code something like that and then be used as a formula, and in the formula define the accuracy level?

I´m loving the tool, its exactlly what i was searching, but i would like a free solution at the moment.

[Richard Buttrey]

Hi,

Microsoft offer a free fuzzy lookup Excel Add In - see https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=15011

I generally use this.

[fleyd]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply.

I know that tool, i tried it but i was unable to test it... Altought i saw some youtube videos of it and it doesnt retrieve results like vlookup formulas, it only compare results.

At least that is what i think, like i said i was unable to install it correctly.

[Richard Buttrey]

Hi,

I see no reason why you can't use Fuzzy lookup as part of your solution.

The fuzzy lookup will return as many comparisons for one text string in a list to the whole list of texts in another table column and give you the comparison score for each.
You'd then need to decide which of the comparisons you want to use - presumably the highest score (and in which case you'd only get fuzzy lookup to return one comparison for each base string), then having chosen which comparison to use you'd use a regular VLOOKUP (or perhaps an INDEX(MATCH()) combination to lookup that product name and return the relevant product code.

It just needs a bit of lateral thought.

[fleyd]

Hi,

Yes you are correct, i understand badly what i have seen in youtube videos since i cant correctly install fuzzy lookup in my current computer.

I have seen more videos closely and i understand what you are saying. Fuzzy lookup is another, and a good one, solution for my "problem". And free!

Thanks for bringing that to my atention.

[Jacc]

I have not tried this at all but someone seems happy with it:
http://www.excelforum.com/excel-form...cal-names.html

[Jacc]

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[fleyd]

Hi

Yes, it was also i you make that question!

But since i dont understand VBA (i cant change it as my needs) i was looking for a more flexible way of comparing text strings and retrive result. I think i will use fuzzy vlookup add in, i just need to reinstall it in order to work. Not sure why i am having dificulty in that... But its my computers problem...

[Jacc]

He he... my observation skills are not so good, I didn't see that.
You can get help to set that up in the VBA part of the forum, it shouldn't be a problem.

[fleyd]

I posted a topic in VBA part of forum - http://www.excelforum.com/excel-prog...ml#post4172868

Thanks