[SOLVED] Match Multiple columns across multiple sheets return TRUE if match found

**klundtasaur** · 06-28-2011, 01:00 PM

Ok, so I've searched for about 3 days now trying to find this elsewhere, but Google has failed me. I've been searching this forum for a little over an hour and keep coming up dry, so here goes:

I have 3 databases i'm pulling from:
A: a server log \1,
B: a scheduler \1,
and C: a test result database \1.

I need to check if there is a match on Date, Time, and Therapist on A and B, and if there is a match, i want to flag the corresponding row on B (in Column E: "Looked at").

Then I need to match Date, time, therapist, and patient on B and C, and if there is a match, flag the corresponding row on C (in Column D: "Looked at").

Attached is a file with the 3 databases set as separate sheets.

Again, I think the referenced post is kinda what I'm looking for, but I am really a novice at Excel and I'm not sure how to modify his response to fit my question (or if that thread is even asking the same thing). Thanks so much for your help--if I can't figure out a way to do this with a formula, I've got to go through all 6000 entries by hand...twice.

Oh! And I'm using Excel 2011 (The Mac version of 2010). I'm pretty sure the programs are identical except for some of their keyboard shortcuts.

**klundtasaur** · 06-28-2011, 03:01 PM

CrossPosted to Mr. Excel. Will update both threads with solution if anyone can help in either place. Thanks again, folks. I really don't want to have to go through these by hand.

**klundtasaur** · 06-29-2011, 01:36 PM

Well, apparently this problem was above the heads of even this forum! Luckily I found someone at my university's library who was able to help me. In case someone else in the future has a similar query, I'll paste his thoughtful solution here.

"If you combine the date and time cells, here is the solution:

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The IF function tries a logical test. The VLOOKUP will search for a date/time (the combined cell you have) within the range of values (the OQ log values columns A:E) and will return the therapist name (which is the column number in the range you specify--in this case 5 since the therapist is in column E). If the therapist name from the VLOOKUP matches the therapist name in C2, it will say TRUE; if not, it will say FALSE. This will only work if the data in the OQ log is sorted by date. It will not work if the log time does not equal the scheduled appointment time exactly."

Works like a charm. Hopefully this helps someone else.