Match Search parsed number vlookup

[Rowland Hamilton]

Trying to Match the result of
=LEFT(Z8,SEARCH("-",Z8)-1)
where
Z8="15-I81113"
and do a vlookup against a list with
15
corresponding to a product name
"Whipawhip"

Doesn't recognize the parsed out 15 as a match for the number 15.
How can I correct this?

Thank you, Rowland

 

[pgc01]

Hi Rowland

Left() is a string function and the result of your formula is not the number 15, it's the text "15".

Convert it to a number, either explicitly:

=VALUE(LEFT(Z8,SEARCH("-",Z8)-1))

or implicitly:

=LEFT(Z8,SEARCH("-",Z8)-1)+0

and then try the lookup.

 

[Rowland Hamilton]

That did it, thank you.