vlookup with multiple TABLE_ARRAY

[iamhsn]

i'm using vlookup to match data. Now the problem is: i have 3 column as TABLE_ARRAY. Now when i enter the lookup_value i want it to search first column 1 then if not matches then column 2 and if this still not matches then it will look into 3rd column.
I have no problem with this when it has only one TABLE_ARRAY column but i fail with multiple....
Sorry can't make it more clear than this.
Thank you for any help

[Pepe Le Mokko]

Perhaps use an INDEX/MATCH combination instead of vlookup

[martindwilson]

what column do you want to get data from?

[iamhsn]

want to get data from column 1, 2 or 3

this is what i'm using now:
=VLOOKUP(F3,A3:D20,4,FALSE)
this looks only in A3 column but i want it to look into A3 if not matched then B3 and if its still no matches then C3 column.
Is it possible?

[Pepe Le Mokko]

Can there be matches in more than one cell in the same row?

[martindwilson]

if its text you are returning (in this case column I must be text)you can can use
=LOOKUP("zzz",CHOOSE({1,2,3},VLOOKUP(B1,$F$2:$I$18,4,FALSE),VLOOKUP(B1,$G$2:$I$18,3,FALSE),VLOOKUP(B1,$H$2:$I$18,2,FALSE)))
if its a number then(and its column I that contains the numbers)
=LOOKUP(10^99,CHOOSE({1,2,3},VLOOKUP(B1,$F$2:$I$18,4,FALSE),VLOOKUP(B1,$G$2:$I$18,3,FALSE),VLOOKUP(B1,$H$2:$I$18,2,FALSE)))

[Stopea]

Hello Martinwilson -

would you kindly expand a bit on what the LOOKUP CHOOSE{1,2,3} does?

[martindwilson]

sorry mate please start your own thread asking this question with a link back to this one if needed