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How to make it 'prioritize' between columns?

  1. #1
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    How to make it 'prioritize' between columns?

    Hi all, I've very recently started using Excel on a daily basis at work, and I would really appreciate some help with a problem that's been bugging me.

    Columns A, B and C have numbers in them that go on for hundreds of rows. I'm trying to find a way of automatically showing the newest data in column D. The numbers written in column C are the most up do date, followed by the numbers in column B, then A.

    The problem is some rows don't have numbers filled in for all columns. So what I want Excel to do for me is to always 'pick' the right-most/most up to date number that is listed (priority is C, then B, then A).

    In other words, if the number in column C is absent, I want the number in column B to show in column D, and if B is empty too I want the number in column A to show.

    How do I go about this?

  2. #2
    Forum Expert NBVC's Avatar
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    Try:

    =LOOKUP(9.9999999E+307,A1:C1) where A1:C1 is first row to check

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  3. #3
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    Works!

    Thanks, now I don't have to worry about slipping up when going through the list manually. =)

    Out of interest, why do you put 9.9999999E+307?

  4. #4
    Forum Expert NBVC's Avatar
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    That is the largest number Excel recognizes and the Lookup() function looks for the last number in a range that is less than or equal to the lookup value... since it is unlikely that big number will be in your range, then the last number in the range is returned.






    t

  5. #5
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    Makes sense.

    With LOOKUP it seems I can't define column skipping ranges in the same way as when using SUM, e.g. =SUM(A1;C1;E1). It says I have too many arguments.

  6. #6
    Forum Expert NBVC's Avatar
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    So what exactly do you need to do and why skip columns?

  7. #7
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    I need to do the same thing as above, only instead of A1:C1 I want the range to be A1;C1;E1 since there is unrelated data in the columns in between. I don't want to move the columns because this is a file used by the whole company, but I figured out I can easily achieve what I want through helper columns.

    Thanks for your help!

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