VLOOKUP Reverse the table order

[dkubiak]

I am building some automation into an existing workbook that is used to track projects. The status of a phase is in column D, but the name of the phase is in column A. I want to build a VLOOKUP that looks for the phase "In Process" in column D and returns the value in the same row in column A.

Is this "reverse" VLOOKUP possible?

 

[VoG]

VLOOKUP cannot look left. Try INDEX with MATCH http://www.contextures.com/xlFunctions03.html

 

[T. Valko]

I am building some automation into an existing workbook that is used to track projects. The status of a phase is in column D, but the name of the phase is in column A. I want to build a VLOOKUP that looks for the phase "In Process" in column D and returns the value in the same row in column A.

Is this "reverse" VLOOKUP possible?

Try it like this...

=INDEX(A2:A100,MATCH("In Process",D2:D100,0))

Better to use a cell to hold the lookup value...

F2 = In Process

=INDEX(A2:A100,MATCH(F2,D2:D100,0))

 

[dkubiak]

Thanks. I'm going to try the INDEX function.

I did, however, use a not-so-sophisticated work around:

Column E = Column A, then hid Column E.

VLOOKUP("In Process",D:E,2,FALSE)

It works, but I think I'll still try the INDEX.

 

[T. Valko]

Thanks. I'm going to try the INDEX function.

I did, however, use a not-so-sophisticated work around:

Column E = Column A, then hid Column E.

VLOOKUP("In Process",D:E,2,FALSE)

It works, but I think I'll still try the INDEX.

Yes, the INDEX version is the way to go.

Thanks for the feedback!