Problems Help! Drop Down List with similar name titles

Hey guys...

Im trying to make a list of multi Columns...Such as small example below

NAMES ------ DIAMETER
18KX ------------- 20
20KX ------------- 30
18WX ------------- 50
20VS ------------- 10

So i make a validation Cell for "Names", Then a "=LOOKUP" equation cell to reference the names to the "Diameters"

BUT excel gets confused when i select a "NAME" that is similar to another such as 18KX and 18WX...so it just spits on the first on which is "20"

i can do an IF statement instead of a LOOKUP statement but i have 200 "NAMES" & 200 "DIAMETERS"

how can i do this?!?!?

please help thanks guys!

whats your formula

=vlookup(criteria,Range,column #,false)

I cannot put a 4th on mine...notice mine is 1997 excel

here is an example problem that I took from the actual program im building

Purpose: Select a VCT SIZE and then it will output a BB number...

this isnt what im trying to do but if i get this solved, i can do the harder stuff

Originally Posted by caper

I cannot put a 4th on mine...notice mine is 1997 excel

here is an example problem that I took from the actual program im building

Purpose: Select a VCT SIZE and then it will output a BB number...

this isnt what im trying to do but if i get this solved, i can do the harder stuff

see attached, hopefully one of those formulas works in excel 97

great!! thanks i see what im doing wrong now!
whats the difference in the Vlookup and the Index match? looks similar

Originally Posted by caper

great!! thanks i see what im doing wrong now!
whats the difference in the Vlookup and the Index match? looks similar

they are similar. you can use index/match to return a value to the left of your lookup column, whereas vlookup can only return a column the the right. however vlookup is a much more simple formula to input.

the way i used it is identical, i just wanted more than one option in case one didn't work in excel 97

glad you got it working the way you wanted