[mso] Re: Comparable data formats in Excel VLOOKUP
- From: Thomas Hutchins <hutch99999@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: mso@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 4 Feb 2009 08:43:09 -0800 (PST)
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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