Help! Formula that can Ref. hidden data & Populate Cells with desired text

This is the first time I have ever posted a question on the internet,
so bear with me, I will do my best to be clear and concise for anyone
who may be interested in helping me look good to my boss! )

Seems the easiest way to do this is tell you what I need the formula to

do, so here goes...


User Facing I would like to see two columns, #1 is 'Req. Number' and
#2, is 'Position'. In order to streamline data as well as to save
time on data entry, a user would only need to enter a desired req.
number into column 1 of the row they are working on. The formula I am
looking for would be able to then take that number, reference
previously entered (possibly hidden) data, and then be able to report
the corresponding/ desired text in Column 2 of the same row.


I think its the LOOKUP (or maybe something to do with a REFERENCE)
function which will look up data in a table to return a row/column # or

something?? Sounded close, but I don't know where to begin when it
comes to figuring out how to turn that row/column reference into the
desired text...


I KNOW excel can do this. It has to be one of the most basic things it

does, yet I can no longer sift through all these commands knowing that
someone out there knows that this is a cinch. If that person is you,
dear reader, please take pity on the girl who is still working at 9:00
on a friday night and at least give me a hint?


Being that the function I am trying to perform is a relatively simple
one, and I don't think you'll need it to catch my drift, I'm not
including an example of what I described above. However, being that I
know what I am trying to say, it makes it hard to be certain how well I

am actually saying it! SO what I am trying to say now is (hehe)


IF YOU NEED CLARIFICATION OF ANY KIND REGARDING MY QUESTION I CAN
PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS INCLUDING (as many) EXAMPLES as you'd like.


Please just let me know. I won't be heading anywhere for a while.
(waaaah! + violins etc;etc.)


THANK YOU! Even if you can't help, thanks for at least attempting to
by reading this.


MANDA
San Jose, CA
Okay, so like I said, I've never done this...do I leave my e-mail for
quickest response?


[email protected] -- too late now I guess!

You can put a table in another sheet than hide that sheet, assume the table
is in Sheet2!A1:B100,
then you put the required number in A2 and the formula in B2

=IF(A2="","",VLOOKUP(A2,Sheet2!$A$1:$B$100,2,0))

--

Regards,

Peo Sjoblom

Northwest Excel Solutions

www.nwexcelsolutions.com

(remove ^^ from email address)

Portland, Oregon




<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> This is the first time I have ever posted a question on the internet,
> so bear with me, I will do my best to be clear and concise for anyone
> who may be interested in helping me look good to my boss! )
>
> Seems the easiest way to do this is tell you what I need the formula to
>
> do, so here goes...
>
>
> User Facing I would like to see two columns, #1 is 'Req. Number' and
> #2, is 'Position'. In order to streamline data as well as to save
> time on data entry, a user would only need to enter a desired req.
> number into column 1 of the row they are working on. The formula I am
> looking for would be able to then take that number, reference
> previously entered (possibly hidden) data, and then be able to report
> the corresponding/ desired text in Column 2 of the same row.
>
>
> I think its the LOOKUP (or maybe something to do with a REFERENCE)
> function which will look up data in a table to return a row/column # or
>
> something?? Sounded close, but I don't know where to begin when it
> comes to figuring out how to turn that row/column reference into the
> desired text...
>
>
> I KNOW excel can do this. It has to be one of the most basic things it
>
> does, yet I can no longer sift through all these commands knowing that
> someone out there knows that this is a cinch. If that person is you,
> dear reader, please take pity on the girl who is still working at 9:00
> on a friday night and at least give me a hint?
>
>
> Being that the function I am trying to perform is a relatively simple
> one, and I don't think you'll need it to catch my drift, I'm not
> including an example of what I described above. However, being that I
> know what I am trying to say, it makes it hard to be certain how well I
>
> am actually saying it! SO what I am trying to say now is (hehe)
>
>
> IF YOU NEED CLARIFICATION OF ANY KIND REGARDING MY QUESTION I CAN
> PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS INCLUDING (as many) EXAMPLES as you'd like.
>
>
> Please just let me know. I won't be heading anywhere for a while.
> (waaaah! + violins etc;etc.)
>
>
> THANK YOU! Even if you can't help, thanks for at least attempting to
> by reading this.
>
>
> MANDA
> San Jose, CA
> Okay, so like I said, I've never done this...do I leave my e-mail for
> quickest response?
>
>
> [email protected] -- too late now I guess!
>