How to Use the INFO Function in Excel
Today, we will explore the VLOOKUP function, a powerful tool available in both Excel and Google Sheets. VLOOKUP, which stands for “Vertical Lookup,” searches for a value in the first column of a specified range and returns a value from the same row in another column.
Understanding VLOOKUP Syntax
The syntax for the VLOOKUP function is as follows:
=VLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, col_index_num, [range_lookup])- lookup_value: The value you are searching for in the first column of the table.
- table_array: The range of cells containing the data you want to search through.
- col_index_num: The column number in table_array from which to retrieve the value.
- range_lookup: This is optional. If set to TRUE or omitted, it looks for an approximate match. If set to FALSE, it searches for an exact match.
Examples of VLOOKUP Usage
Here’s a practical example to demonstrate how VLOOKUP can be utilized effectively.
Example 1: Using VLOOKUP for Employee Data
Consider a table with employee information such as ID, Name, Department, and Salary. To fetch the salary of an employee based on their ID, we use VLOOKUP.
| ID | Name | Department | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 101 | John | IT | $5000 |
| 102 | Emma | HR | $4500 |
To find the salary of the employee with ID 102, apply this formula:
=VLOOKUP(102, A2:D3, 4, FALSE)This formula searches for ID 102 in the first column of the range A2:D3 and retrieves the value from the fourth column, which is the salary.
Example 2: Using VLOOKUP with Currency Conversion Rates
Imagine you have a table listing currency conversion rates and you want to convert an amount from one currency to another using VLOOKUP.
| Currency | Conversion Rate |
|---|---|
| USD | 1 |
| EUR | 0.85 |
To convert $100 to Euros, use the following formula:
=100 * VLOOKUP("USD", A2:B3, 2, FALSE)This formula first retrieves the conversion rate for USD then multiplies it by the amount to calculate the equivalent in Euros.
These examples highlight the versatility of the VLOOKUP function in Excel and Google Sheets for retrieving specific data from a structured table.
More information: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/info-function-725f259a-0e4b-49b3-8b52-58815c69acae