Lookup Functions: V Lookup, H Lookup

Lookup functions in Excel are powerful tools for searching and retrieving information from tables. Two commonly used lookup functions are VLOOKUP (Vertical Lookup) and HLOOKUP (Horizontal Lookup).

1. VLOOKUP (Vertical Lookup):

VLOOKUP searches for a value in the leftmost column of a table and returns a value in the same row from a specified column.

Syntax:

=VLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, col_index_num, [range_lookup])

• lookup_value: The value to search for in the first column of the table.
• table_array: The table of data in which to search.
• col_index_num: The column index number in the table from which to retrieve the value.
• [range_lookup]: [Optional] TRUE for an approximate match (default), FALSE for an exact match.

Example:

=VLOOKUP(A1, B1:E10, 3, FALSE)

This formula searches for the value in cell A1 in the leftmost column of the table B1:E10. If a match is found, it returns the value in the third column of the matched row.

2. HLOOKUP (Horizontal Lookup):

HLOOKUP searches for a value in the top row of a table and returns a value in the same column from a specified row.

Syntax:

=HLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, row_index_num, [range_lookup])

• lookup_value: The value to search for in the first row of the table.
• table_array: The table of data in which to search.
• row_index_num: The row index number in the table from which to retrieve the value.
• [range_lookup]: [Optional] TRUE for an approximate match (default), FALSE for an exact match.

Example:

=HLOOKUP(A1, B1:E10, 2, FALSE)

This formula searches for the value in cell A1 in the top row of the table B1:E10. If a match is found, it returns the value in the second row of the matched column.

Both VLOOKUP and HLOOKUP are useful for quickly finding and retrieving information from large datasets or tables. Users can customize these functions based on their specific lookup requirements, and they play a key role in data analysis and decision-making in Excel.