In Excel data processing, the VLOOKUP function has always been one of the widely known and used functions. However, with the continuous update and development of Excel, Microsoft has launched a new XLOOKUP function, which not only can replace VLOOKUP, but also has more powerful functions and flexibility. This article will introduce you to the power and usage of the XLOOKUP function, bid farewell to the era of VLOOKUP, and make your data processing more efficient and convenient.
Around the usage of the VLOOKUP formula, there are 4 parameters to be aware of:
1. Lookup value: This is the value to look up, usually a cell reference.
2. Search area: This is the area range containing the value to be searched, usually a column range of a table.
3. Which column is the result in: This is the column index number of the result to be returned, counting from the first column in the search area.
4. Exact search: This is an optional parameter used to specify the search method. Enter 0 for an exact match and 1 for an approximate match.
For example, suppose we have a salary table and want to find the salary data of some employees. If we use the VLOOKUP formula to solve it, we can follow the steps below:
1. Lookup value: Assuming that the employee to be looked up is Zhuge Liang, we can use cell F2 as the lookup value.
2. Search area: Assuming that Zhuge Liang's original data column is the range extending to the right of column B, we can use B:D as the search area.
3. What column is the result in: Assuming that the result is listed in the third column of the search area, we can specify 3 as the parameter for the column where the result is in.
4. Exact search: Since we need an exact match, we can enter 0 as the parameter for exact search.
Therefore, the formula we entered is: =VLOOKUP(F2, B:D, 3, 0).
For those who are new to the workplace, it may take some time to understand the VLOOKUP formula, because the first 3 parameters are interrelated. If you want to find a new result, the first three parameters need to be rewritten according to the usage of the formula.
In addition, the VLOOKUP formula has a limitation that it can only search from left to right. If you need to search from right to left, you need to use auxiliary columns or auxiliary formulas to solve.
In order to solve these problems, the new version introduces the XLOOKUP formula, which is more simplified and only needs 3 parameters to complete the search and match. The XLOOKUP formula is used as follows:
1. Lookup value: The value to look up.
2. Lookup Column: The column that contains the value to look up.
3. Search area: contains the range of the area to return the results.
So, for the same problem, if we need to look up salary based on employee name, we can use the following formula: =XLOOKUP(F2, B:B, D:D).
If the search result is a serial number, just change the third parameter to column A: =XLOOKUP(F2, B:B, A:A).
By using the XLOOKUP formula, we can perform lookup and matching operations more simply and reduce the complexity of parameters.
The appearance of the XLOOKUP function brings more convenience and efficiency to Excel users. No longer limited by the limitations of VLOOKUP, the XLOOKUP function has more powerful search and matching capabilities, making data processing more flexible and efficient. I hope that through the introduction of this article, you can master how to use the XLOOKUP function, so that you can be more handy in data processing and improve work efficiency. Don't learn VLOOKUP anymore, learning XLOOKUP is enough! Let us usher in a new era of Excel data processing together!