[mso] Re: Comparable data formats in Excel VLOOKUP

You could try selecting each column of data to be used in the VLookup and using 
Data >> Text to Columns (fixed width, text output) to convert it to text in 
place.
 
If that doesn't work, here is a macro that will add an apostrophe to every 
non-blank cell in a selected range:
 
Sub AddTics()
Dim r As Range
For Each r In Selection
    If (r.PrefixCharacter <> "'" And _
      Len(r.Value) > 0) Then
        r.Value = "'" & r.Value
    End If
Next
Set r = Nothing
End Sub
Copy this code into a general VBA module in your workbook. To run it, select 
the range of cells to be processed, then select Tools >> Macro >> Macros >> 
AddTics >> Run.
 
If you are new to user-defined functions (macros), this link to Jon Peltier's 
site may be helpful:
http://peltiertech.com/WordPress/2008/03/09/how-to-use-someone-elses-macro/

Hope this helps,
 
Hutch

--- On Tue, 2/3/09, Peggy Knesebeck <pknesebeck@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

From: Peggy Knesebeck <pknesebeck@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [mso] Comparable data formats in Excel VLOOKUP
To: "MicroSoft list serve" <mso@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tuesday, February 3, 2009, 3:59 PM

I am having trouble comparing values within a cell in Excel when doing VLOOKUP. 
When we download data from our system into Excel, account numbers load with
green triangles in the upper left corner of the cell.  When I try to reformat
the cell through the edit mode, it doesn't change that flag, or change it to
a format I can use to compare values.  The only way I can get it to work, is to
go into the table that is being used as the lookup table, and change those cells
individually to text by inserting an apostrophe in front of the value.  (I am
usually dealing with a large volume of data, so treating each cell individually
in not realistic.)   If I try to format it to text under the edit option, it
still will not change it to a format recognizable for the comparison purpose. 
I've copied a sample below to demonstrate.   You can see in D8, when I put
an apostrophe in front of the value, it gives the comparable green triangle and
returns a lookup value.  The rest of the data in
  column D is formated as number, as is the data in column A.  However, they
are not comparable.
 
I have 2 questions:
 
1.  Is there a way to reformat a large range of cells to a number format that
will be recognizable for comparison purposes in a VLOOKUP?
2.  Is there a way to go into a large range of cells and insert an apostrophe
in front of the value in the lookup table, so they would be comparable in a
VLOOKUP?
 
Thanks in advance for your help!

 





















































Lookup Table

Data


VLOOKUP

POCA
FS Item

POCA
 Amt 
 
Return FSItem


3000000
130390

3000000
 $        1,500.00 
 
130390


3000001
130390

3000000
 
 
#N/A


3000002
130390

3020002
 
 
#N/A


3000003
130390

3020002
 $                  -   
 
#N/A


3000004
130390

3020002
 $  1,621,076.38 
 
#N/A


3000005
130390

3020101
 $                  -   
 
#N/A


3000006
130390

3020101
 $     142,722.77 
 
#N/A


3000007
130390

3050001
 $                  -   
 
#N/A


3000008
130390

3050001
 $     900,436.87 
 
#N/A


3000009
130390

3050002
 $                  -   
 
#N/A


3000101
130390

3050002
 $     620,922.08 
 
#N/A


3000102
130390

3050007
 $  2,062,563.85 
 
#N/A


3000103
130390

3050007
 
 
#N/A


3000108
130390

3050007
 $                  -   
 
#N/A


3000109
130390

3050007
 $  2,062,563.85 
 
#N/A


3000113
130390

3090000
 $        7,199.30 
 
#N/A


3000114
130390

3090000
 $                  -   
 
#N/A


3000115
130390

3090000
 $        9,842.00 
 
#N/A


3000117
130390







3000120
130390







3000135
130390







3000136
130390







3000140
130390











 
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