How to use {CSE } with VLookup

[__Stephenb__]

Hi,

I am trying to ( in a single cell ) determine the sum of some "tags" which have a value based on a separate table. Such as

TAGS
------
A
1 tag1
2 tag2

TAG VALUES
------------
A B
5 tag1 1
6 tag2 2

What I am trying is :
={SUM(VLOOKUP( A1:A2, $A5:$B6,2,FALSE))}
with the expected goal to get =3

In my thinking I am expecting to create an {array} of items to lookup and get values like {1,2} and then to sum them, but clearly my understanding is wrong.

The frist part that trips me up is I expect A1:A2 in vlookup to be treated as {"tag1","tag2"} but when I look in the evaluator I see it is just "tag1".

Can someone please put me on the right track.

Thanks
-Steve

 

[dafan]

Try:

=SUMPRODUCT((A1:A2=A5:A6)*(B5:B6))

 

[Aladin Akyurek]

Try...

=SUMPRODUCT(SUMIF($A$5:$A$6,$A$1:$A$2,$B$5:$B$6))

 

[__Stephenb__]

Thanks. Spot on, but that is why you are MrExcel!

Can you possibly explain where my understand is incorrect with my attempted use with the Vlookup ( which is clearly not the best soln ), but I am new to the understanding of excel natively supporting arrays, and how to use them, and given my brief experimenting, that seems like a natural extension ?

-Steve