how to combine named arrays into a matrix

If I have vertical named arrays that are 5 rows each: array_1 and array_2 (not next to eachother in the worksheet), how do I combine them into a 5 row by 2 column named array?

Thank you.

what do you intend doing with it if you could?

To reference the two areas by one name, select both and enter a name in the Names box, left of the formula bar.

For computational purposes, though, it will still not be a 5x2 range. You couldn't do matrix multiplication with it, for example. To do that would require some UDF that fleetingly combines them into a variant array.

Originally Posted by martindwilson

what do you intend doing with it if you could?

I was hoping to apply a VLOOKUP function to it, with the first named range being the first column of a "table_array" used by VLOOKUP.

Use INDEX/MATCH

not sure how to do that.........

post sample

I figured it out!

=VLOOKUP(E11,(r_1:r_4),2,FALSE)

(r_1:r_4) puts the two arrays side by side so that VLOOKUP can be applied to them as though they are in a table.

looks like if I named my new array =r_1:r_4 (call it "total_array")

=VLOOKUP(E11,total_array,2,FALSE) works as well

If r_1 is the top cell in one range, and r_4 is the bottom cell in the other, I don't think that does what you're thinking.

=INDEX(Array2, Match(E11, Array1, 0))

Thank you - I'll keep your formula for future reference.

r_1 is actually the first column (5 by 1 vertical vector) and r_2 is the second column (5 by 1 vertical vector). =r_1:r_2 seems to combine them into a 5 by 2 table, at least as far as VLOOKUP is concerned.