How to search in a workbook with a list

[kweeks]

URGENT!!

I have a problem. I have a workbook called Business.xls and another workbook called Dbase_Customers.xls. The Dbase_Customers.xls file contains a list of customers with name, company name, phone#s, email, etc. I am trying to get a formula that with allow me to search the Dbase_Customers.xls file from the Business.xls file using the Customer ID#, Customer Name, or the Company and return values for the search for all of the customer info. I am trying to use the VLOOKUP function and nested if statements, but it does not want to seem to work. The search area also contains a validation list so if the person doin a search didn't know the customer name or id# they have a drop down list.

This is what I got so far:

=VLOOKUP((IF(B2>0,B2,F2)),Dbase_Customers.xls!$A$2:$N$3,1)

This works with just the Customer ID# field. I tried this with the other fields but it is saying NO to me

=IF(B2>0,(VLOOKUP(B2,Dbase_Customer.xls!$A$2:$N$3,1))),IF(C2=" ",(IF(D2=" ",,(VLOOKUP(D2,Dbase_Customers.xls!$A$2:$N$3,3)))),(VLOOKUP(C2,Dbase_Customers.xls!$A$2:$N$3,2)))

Most likely Im probably way off and there is a much easier way to do this. Im a newbie so any help is much appreciated. I think I just wrote alot of babble

Thanks

 

[Yogi Anand]

Hi Kweeks:

Welcome to the Board!

I am going to illustrate the use of VLOOKUP function through a simple simulation laid out as you suggested in your post. You may want to study the use of VLOOKUP in the simulation as well as Excel Help to clearly understand its usage.

y021005.xls
	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J	K	L	M	N
1	Name	Field2	Field3	Field4	Field5	Field6	Field7	Field8	Field9	Field10	Field11	Field12	Field13	Field14
2	Kweeks	ab2	ac2	ad2	ae2	af2	ag2	ah2	ai2	aj2	ak2	al2	am2	an2
3	MrExcel	ab3	ac3	ad3	ae3	af3	ag3	ah3	ai3	aj3	ak3	al3	am3	an3
4
5	Lookingup			Lookingup
6	MrExcel			Kweeks
7	Name	MrExcel		Name	Kweeks
8	Field6	af3		Field6	af2
9	Field12	al3		Field12	al2
10
Sheet3

</SPAN>

Regards!

Yogi