Workaround for named range Search function issue in Excel - excel

I have a bank export of Credit card vendors. As these vary, I use unique strings contained in each to identify them. For example here is a lookup table excerpt.
First Lookup
I then apply a formula =INDEX(First_level,MATCH(TRUE,ISNUMBER(SEARCH(Keywords,C3374)),0)) to produce this:
First calc
I found this formula here https://exceljet.net/formula/get-first-match-cell-contains
Then I reapply the formula to the result ie the First_Level using this formula =INDEX(Second_Level,MATCH(TRUE,ISNUMBER(SEARCH(Frst_Lev_Check,H44)),0)) with this Lookup.
Second Lookup
Most of the time it works, but for this I get the following
Second calc, where the first level classification is correct, but the second level one is completely wrong.
When I've gone into the depths of the formula, the issue is that the Search function is returning the wrong value.
This appears to be a known issue: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/how-to-use-named-range-in-search-function/14c8c989-bed0-48f9-bce0-c0894571b557
Ideas welcome on workarounds/how to solve the problem.
Cheers Jon

Would you consider:
=MATCH("Apple",List)
and
=MATCH("Pear",List)
to return 1 and 2 respectively.

A couple of things in regards to your question:
The correct syntax for search is =SEARCH(find_text,within_text), so the correct formula would be =SEARCH("Pear",List).
The reason why you are getting the #Value is, because you are applying search to a range, but the function is only intended for cells.
The best ways to see if a value exists in a range are the countif and match function:
The countif function shows you how many times the a value is in a range:
The match function shows you in which row the the first value is:

Related

Why does my wildcard search with SUMIF not work?

In MS Excel, I'm trying to make a wildcard search using the SUMIF function. I'm following this guide. However, for some reason my Excel doesn't think the words in the range are equal to the criterion.
Suppose I have the following data:
I have apple as a criterion and want to find sum all the cells adjacent to one containing the word apple. My formula is:
=sumif(A2:A6, "*apple*", B2:B6)
Now, for some reason the result of the sum function amounts to nothing.
I also tried another test, which I think my error has to do with. If I type = "apple" = "*apple*", Excel returns False`. The two are related, I think, but I don't see how I can solve my original problem.
Any help is much appreciated.
Try
=sumif(b2:b6,"*apple*",a2:a6)
As according to your example you have the sum range first followed by the range you are controlling against.
That is the wrong way round for sumif().

LOOKUP function gives N/A answer in some selected list options

I have 3 columns in excel first one is normal text second one is the list where we can select different options and the third one is the LOOKUP function associated with the list so according to option I select it changes the value.
In the third column I first two-row is working properly but in the third one when I select the third option I got N/A answer I am not sure what is the problem because I provided the proper location.
Here is my EXCEL FILE
here is my lookup command
=LOOKUP(B5,D33:D35,E33:E35)
Please help me if you need any information from my side please comment. Thank You
LOOKUP function does approximate match but judging from your file I think you want exact match. Please switch to VLOOKUP and your function should be something like the following in Cell C5 which shall return 26.
=VLOOKUP(B5,D33:E35,2,FALSE)
As explained in this article Excel LOOKUP Function:
When lookup_value is less than all (i.e. the first) value in lookup_vector, LOOKUP returns #N/A.
In the above example, Bechalor Degree or Above is actually less than High School which is the first value in your look up range so it explained why your command returned #N/A.
Another way to solve the issue is to sort your look up range alphabetically (by Column D) then your LOOKUP function will return the desired figure from Column E.

Excel - Minimum and If statement - date error

I am trying to write a formula that checks the status and name to be ongoing and joe blogs (in this example), and once finding a match, will identify the oldest date of a ticket raised.
My formula currently includes:
=MIN(IF('Sheet2'!AA:AA="ONGOING",IF('Sheet2'!Q:Q="Joe Bloggs",'Sheet2'!B18:B49)))
I also tried:
=IF((AND(sheet2!$AA:$AA="ongoing", 'Sheet2'!$Q:$Q="Joe Bloggs")), MIN('Sheet2'!B18:B49),"No")
In Column B contains dates. Q contains names, AA contains the status.
At the moment when this runs I get the result '00/01/1990'.
I have done some checks to find the error, and appears to be around the targets name, as when the second formula is tried, the output is "no". The name is definitely in the Q column, and I have completed other formulas including countifs which have worked perfectly fine.
I have done a lot of searching to find nested ifs and min statements to have no joy , would be grateful of any advice / tips. It may be a simple error to some.
Try entering this as an array formula:
=MIN(IF(sheet2!AA:AA="ongoing",IF(sheet2!q:q="Joe Bloggs",sheet2!B:B)))
FYI I found the solution here.
You will have to apply a date format to the result.
Your first formula works well on my data (as below). If I close the formula with ENTER only, I get the result '37128' and if I close the formula with CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER I get the expected result, '25/08/2001'.
Edit: As #FocusWiz said in the comments, the only major difference (other than different column names) between my formula and yours is the the last range in your formula (B18:B49) is a different sized range to the other two, which are referring to full columns.
*This could be solved either by using the same row range for all three column references (AA18:AA49, Q18:Q49, B18:B49) or referencing the full column range for all three ranges (AA:AA,Q:Q,B:B).
This is your formula I'm talking about:
=MIN(IF('Sheet2'!AA:AA="ONGOING",IF('Sheet2'!Q:Q="Joe Bloggs",'Sheet2'!B18:B49)))
And this is the formula in my workbook F7:
=MIN(IF(B:B="ONGOING",IF(A:A="Joe Bloggs",C:C)))
As you can see in the formula editor, squiggly brackets '{}' show around the formula when it has been closed as an array formula.
If that doesn't work for you, please post some sample data with datatypes so we can help figure out what is causing the lookup value to miss the data.
While I like the technique offered by Patrick (I have frequently forgotten an "else" portion of a formula and gotten "false" as a value in a cell but never thought of a use for that...thank you!), I think this question highlights an issue we all can have with array formulas. As girlvsdata indicates, your original formula:
=MIN(IF(Sheet2!AA:AA="ONGOING",IF(Sheet2!Q:Q="Joe Bloggs",Sheet2!B:B)))
(modified above to be more generic for column B) will also work when entered as an array formula.
What likely happened is that somehow the formula got edited and was not re-entered as an array formula.
While I do not dislike array formulas, I do try to avoid them because I have fat fingers and will frequently mess them up by accidentally hitting the wrong key as I am modifying other cells.
Here is an alternative without using an array formula:
=INDEX(LARGE((Sheet2!Q:Q&Sheet2!AA:AA="Joe bloggs"&"ongoing")*(Sheet2!B:B),COUNTIFS(Sheet2!Q:Q,"Joe Bloggs",Sheet2!AA:AA,"ongoing")),1)
What it does is basically create a candidate date value for every row that has "joe bloggs" and "ongoing" which is equal to the date in column B for all such rows. All other rows get a zero candidate date value. The LARGE function takes the smallest nonzero date by counting the n valid candidates with the COUNTIFS function and taking the nth largest such candidate.

Index Match Works on some cells, not others

I was using this Index Match formula with no issues:
=INDEX('Rain Data For 9 Stations'!A:S,MATCH(RainWICSProximity!J100,'Rain Data For 9 Stations'!A:A,0),INDEX($N$4:$N$12,MATCH(H100,$M$4:$M$12,0)))
I added more data, and it now only returns some values, while returning #N/A for others, even though there is a value to return.
Index returns the value in a range.
What you are doing is =INDEX(MATCH(),INDEX(MATCH())). It works due to some luck, because sometimes the second Index() returns cell with value as well. However, if the second index returns cell with an empty value, then the first index has to return something like =Index(4,0), which is #N/A.
In general, try =Index(Match(),Match()).
To see where exactly the error is, select the cell with the formula, go to the Excel ribbon >Formulas>Evaluate Formula.
Then press a few times Evaluate Formula and see what happens:
See this answer for step-by-step formula evaluation.
#Vityata was correct, Index, Match, Match works wonderfully, also, my original formula does work.
The issue was, I had calculate set to Manual, not auto, in excel settings.
I believe you need to expand your range. I am not real familiar with Index Match but trying to learn to use it more, but I believe it is kind of like VLOOKUP. Your ranges $N$4:$N$12 and $M$4:$M$12 is where it is looking right? If so, those ranges are not expanding even though you added more data. So you need to expand it to like $M$4:$M$100 or whatever. Or expand it to find the last row which is what I usually do. like mine would be "$M$4:$M" & LastRow & "" or something like that.

Excel VLOOKUP returning same value in all rows

The vlookup function appears to be broken. It is returning the same value for all lookups, but it should not.
I have it set like so:
=VLOOKUP(A3, Asset_Mapping!A$2:B$673, 1)
Where the lookup value is in the B column and the result is in the A column.
I use the $ so the rows are not auto-updated to A3:B674 etc as I paste the formula down the rows. However, even if I manually enter that formula into the next row, it is not finding the correct value.
IF i remove the "$", the correct values are found for the first rows where the values fall within the modified range (e.g. Asset_Mapping!A3:B674) but eventually as expected it stops finding the values as the range is invalid.
What am I doing incorrectly here? I have formulas set to auto-calculate.
Without testing on your actual data it's hard to confirm this will work but add the false parameter. This will find exact matches and not the first partial match.
=VLOOKUP(A3, Asset_Mapping!A$2:B$673, 1, false)
Collating the points together and clarifying the formula
Parameter 1: The value you are looking for
Parameter 2: The table with the data. First column is the value you are looking for.
Parameter 3: The column number of the value you want to show.
Parameter 4: If you want an exact match or partial match.
#Jeeped made the point of ordering data to get more reliable results. Good advice.
Andres has the right idea, but there is a faster way to fix the problem.
If it is returning the same value over and over again for your whole range, you probably have your Calculation Options set to "Manual".
Go into Formulas on the top ribbon and choose Calculation Options. There, you can change your calc method to "Automatic".
Also lookup value must be in first column.
Where the lookup value is in the B column and the result is in the A column.
VLOOKUP always lookup in the left-most column and returns a value from the column number specified. If you want to reverse the lookup/return order then use INDEX(..., MATCH(...))
=INDEX(Asset_Mapping!A$2:A$673, MATCH(A3, Asset_Mapping!B$2:B$673, 0))
Note that you were using a sorted, binary lookup; I've changed this to an exact match lookup which does not require sorted data.
Just in case adding a solution to this topic.
Don't know why in big tables Vlookup and Index+Match tend to show just the value of the first result in all the other cells.
In my case to fix this, after I've copied the formula in the whole range, I choose any cell containing it, press F2 and then Enter. It kind of forces excel to process everything.
I've been working on this for a week with no results. I've created this same spreadsheet for another apartment community without any issues, but for some reason, I cannot get the proper results in this spreadsheet. I've tried vlookup as well, but that didn't help either. any more advice?
Formula
Result and lookup vectors

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