Do I need IF function? Is there another way?

[CRM1512]

I'm setting up a basic spreadsheet for tracking employees and what the qualifications they are in the process of undertaking. I want to be able to type under the column titled "Qualification" the qualification they are doing (e.g. Certificate III Business Administration, Certificate III Signage, Certificate II Horticulture etc) and in the column beside it titled "QualCode" for the code to automatically appear (so, for Business BSB30407, for Signage CPC32108 and for Horticulture RTF20103).

I have no idea how to make the code appear when the Title is entered!

I have about 25 qualifications (and therefore, 25 qualification codes) so I'm not sure if this is an IF function?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Please note, I'm a HR person, not an IT person! So apologies for my ignorance!

THANKS AGAIN

[gjlindn]

Sounds like a good use for VLOOKUP. Post a sample of your workbook and I'll be glad to insert some formulas for you.

[Andrew-R]

The attached workbook contains a list of courses and their codes on sheet 2.

Two named ranges are set up, one for the list of courses and one for the courses and their codes.

The list of courses is used in sheet 1 to provide a list for data validation, so that rather than typing the name you can just select from a drop-down list. The column to the right of it returns the course code, providing that the course field is not blank.

Is this the sort of thing you were looking for?

[CRM1512]

Okay, so what you're telling me is that I can do this using something called a VLOOKUP?

I've had a look at that sample one - which is EXACTLY what I want it to do - but have no idea how to make my spreadsheets do that too. I've attached a sample - and any help would be hugely appreciated.

Thanks heaps!!

[gjlindn]

You don't really need the drop-down list in the lookup column, but I didn't take it out. Here's your example with VLOOKUP added.

[CRM1512]

This worked 100%!!! Thank you so much for your help everyone - greatly appreciated!!

[gjlindn]

That's good to hear! Remember to mark the thread as solved if you've received a satisfactory solution...