Forum Discussion
vlookup #N/A issues - not a 'newbie'
I am struggling with a persisitant #N/A message.
Formula is this: =VLOOKUP(D6,'[Clients.xlsb]Jobs-Orders'!$A$3:$Y$10000,7,FALSE)
I have checked the following:
D6 refers to the correct cell for the lookup_value, and is formatted as number, in this case 333.
The table_array is in another workbook, called Clients, and the sheet is Jobs-Orders. Both are open as I struggle with this.
The table_array is from $A$3 to $Y$390, but I have made it to $Y$10000 to allow for data growth (Yes, I know that it could have been a Table, but this goes way back in my learning curve).
The matching entry for the lookup_value is in Col.A of the 'source' workbook, hence in the leftmost column, and it too is formatted as Number. And 333 is definitely there.
The value I want returned is in Col.G, IE #7 for col_index_num, so seems correct.
What is wrong?!
I've used vlookup in plenty of other applications, and they have generally been successful.
Dominic_Joslin The A500 in my formula was just an example. Find the actual cell reference of the value that should match what is in cell D6 (the lookup_value in the VLOOKUP function). Let's say that actual reference is A235, then somewhere else type =D6=A235. If the result is FALSE, you know for sure that the two values are NOT the same.
By the way, I saw you post on Myonlinetraininghub where you asked the same question and where you received more or less the same answer.
14 Replies
Dominic_Joslin VLOOKUP returning an #N/A error means that it did NOT find a match. Are you sure that the numbers 333 are the same in both lists? What do you get when you enter a formula like
=D6='[Clients.xlsb]Jobs-Orders'!$A$500
where A500 in the Clients file also contains the 333 you are trying to match. Change that reference to the one that really contains 333. Do your get TRUE or FALSE?
If FALSE, then both "numbers" are not the same. One might have been entered(imported) as text. Reformatting the cell/column to Number or General will not automatically transform a text from, for instance " 333 " (note the leading/trailing spaces) to a number 333.
Riny_van_Eekelen Thank you for replying.
I have just checked the 333 numbers, and in both places lookup_value, and table_array, they seem to be 'clean', IE no empty spaces before or after, and both formatted as numbers.
I tried to paste your suggested test formula, and twice, IE in two different cells it returns False. I tried it with both A500 and A333.
Curiously, when I try my formula in a cell on another Sheet in the Workbook, it works fine. ?? Could there be something up with the new sheet?
Dominic_Joslin The A500 in my formula was just an example. Find the actual cell reference of the value that should match what is in cell D6 (the lookup_value in the VLOOKUP function). Let's say that actual reference is A235, then somewhere else type =D6=A235. If the result is FALSE, you know for sure that the two values are NOT the same.
By the way, I saw you post on Myonlinetraininghub where you asked the same question and where you received more or less the same answer.
- Probably her use Vlookup (NumberValue(A2), Table_array, Col Index ,0)
Assuming the value in the table is a number- Hi Donald. I have just tried the formula with 0 instead of False as the [Range_Lookup], but it hasn't fixed it IE still #N/A.
- Copy the data to another workbook
Or use XlookUp- Do you mean copy the data in the sheet that I am trying to extract the data from, in this case the Clients workbook? Or the 'destination' workbook?
I have tried XLOOKUP, but didn't follow it all the way through, as the lookup_value is in the left most column of the sheet, so VLOOKUP seemed appropriate. I'll try it again, if nothing else sorts it out.
- I have tried again with the following formula, copied and pasted from another sheet in the same workbook, where the vlookup is working OK, and bringing up the exact same required data. Grrrr!!!!
=VLOOKUP(B1,'\\DOMINIC-PC\Documents\user-files\Documents\SUNNVENT\Clients\[Clients.xlsb]Jobs-Orders'!$A$3:$Y$10000,7,FALSE)
