VLOOKUP results on last names

[James]

Hi Everyone!

I'm using VLOOKUP to match last names. The problem i'm having is multiple
people with the same name. VLOOKUP returns the fist match, what are some
suggestions and ideas so that i can get a list to choose from?
Also, is there a way to do wildcard searches in excel in a VLOOKUP or does
it absolutely have to be an exact match?

any ideas?

TIA

James

[Bob Phillips]

You could lookup on a combination of last and first names, like

=INDEX(O2:O100,MATCH(A1&B1,M2:M100&N2:N100,0))

which is an array formula so commit with Ctrl-Shift-Enter

--

HTH

RP
(remove nothere from the email address if mailing direct)


"James" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi Everyone!
>
> I'm using VLOOKUP to match last names. The problem i'm having is multiple
> people with the same name. VLOOKUP returns the fist match, what are some
> suggestions and ideas so that i can get a list to choose from?
> Also, is there a way to do wildcard searches in excel in a VLOOKUP or does
> it absolutely have to be an exact match?
>
> any ideas?
>
> TIA
>
> James
>
>

[B. R.Ramachandran]

Hi,

One possibility: You could use Conditional Formatting to shade all the rows
containing the last name you are looking for.

Regards,
B. R. Ramachandran

"James" wrote:

> Hi Everyone!
>
> I'm using VLOOKUP to match last names. The problem i'm having is multiple
> people with the same name. VLOOKUP returns the fist match, what are some
> suggestions and ideas so that i can get a list to choose from?
> Also, is there a way to do wildcard searches in excel in a VLOOKUP or does
> it absolutely have to be an exact match?
>
> any ideas?
>
> TIA
>
> James
>
>
>

[James]

Hi Bob,
thanks for replying!

could you explain this a little more? I've never used the INDEX function.
i will try to learn more about the INDEX and MATCH formulas while i wait for
your response. Thanks again!!

JAMES


"Bob Phillips" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:e2%[email protected]...
> You could lookup on a combination of last and first names, like
>
> =INDEX(O2:O100,MATCH(A1&B1,M2:M100&N2:N100,0))
>
> which is an array formula so commit with Ctrl-Shift-Enter
>
> --
>
> HTH
>
> RP
> (remove nothere from the email address if mailing direct)
>
>
> "James" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Hi Everyone!
> >
> > I'm using VLOOKUP to match last names. The problem i'm having is
multiple
> > people with the same name. VLOOKUP returns the fist match, what are some
> > suggestions and ideas so that i can get a list to choose from?
> > Also, is there a way to do wildcard searches in excel in a VLOOKUP or
does
> > it absolutely have to be an exact match?
> >
> > any ideas?
> >
> > TIA
> >
> > James
> >
> >
>
>

[Bob Phillips]

Well what it does is first find the row index of the concatenated last and
first names in the concatenated lists in columns M & N. It returns that
index to the INDEX function which uses it to retrieve the corresponding
entry in column O.

--

HTH

RP
(remove nothere from the email address if mailing direct)


"James" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi Bob,
> thanks for replying!
>
> could you explain this a little more? I've never used the INDEX function.
> i will try to learn more about the INDEX and MATCH formulas while i wait
for
> your response. Thanks again!!
>
> JAMES
>
>
> "Bob Phillips" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:e2%[email protected]...
> > You could lookup on a combination of last and first names, like
> >
> > =INDEX(O2:O100,MATCH(A1&B1,M2:M100&N2:N100,0))
> >
> > which is an array formula so commit with Ctrl-Shift-Enter
> >
> > --
> >
> > HTH
> >
> > RP
> > (remove nothere from the email address if mailing direct)
> >
> >
> > "James" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> > > Hi Everyone!
> > >
> > > I'm using VLOOKUP to match last names. The problem i'm having is
> multiple
> > > people with the same name. VLOOKUP returns the fist match, what are
some
> > > suggestions and ideas so that i can get a list to choose from?
> > > Also, is there a way to do wildcard searches in excel in a VLOOKUP or
> does
> > > it absolutely have to be an exact match?
> > >
> > > any ideas?
> > >
> > > TIA
> > >
> > > James
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>

[James]

Bob,
I figured this out and it worked wonderfully!!

thanks for the time and clarification!!

James


"Bob Phillips" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:%[email protected]...
> Well what it does is first find the row index of the concatenated last and
> first names in the concatenated lists in columns M & N. It returns that
> index to the INDEX function which uses it to retrieve the corresponding
> entry in column O.
>
> --
>
> HTH
>
> RP
> (remove nothere from the email address if mailing direct)
>
>
> "James" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Hi Bob,
> > thanks for replying!
> >
> > could you explain this a little more? I've never used the INDEX
function.
> > i will try to learn more about the INDEX and MATCH formulas while i wait
> for
> > your response. Thanks again!!
> >
> > JAMES
> >
> >
> > "Bob Phillips" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:e2%[email protected]...
> > > You could lookup on a combination of last and first names, like
> > >
> > > =INDEX(O2:O100,MATCH(A1&B1,M2:M100&N2:N100,0))
> > >
> > > which is an array formula so commit with Ctrl-Shift-Enter
> > >
> > > --
> > >
> > > HTH
> > >
> > > RP
> > > (remove nothere from the email address if mailing direct)
> > >
> > >
> > > "James" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > > news:[email protected]...
> > > > Hi Everyone!
> > > >
> > > > I'm using VLOOKUP to match last names. The problem i'm having is
> > multiple
> > > > people with the same name. VLOOKUP returns the fist match, what are
> some
> > > > suggestions and ideas so that i can get a list to choose from?
> > > > Also, is there a way to do wildcard searches in excel in a VLOOKUP
or
> > does
> > > > it absolutely have to be an exact match?
> > > >
> > > > any ideas?
> > > >
> > > > TIA
> > > >
> > > > James
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>