Want to return value from 2nd column based on match in 1 field with first column

[lornagreenwood]

I'm working on a project in which I have 50 states + DC listed by 2-letter abbreviation, and want to return a value in another column that will be a non-unique number (some will duplicate in the second column.)

Also need to do this same operation with first column (state) and third column, which also is comprised of non-unique numbers.

Will anyone please help a user out? It seems simple, yet I don't know where to start.

Hlookup, lookup & pivot tables seem to not be a fit for this.

 

[c_m_s_jr]

Can you post some data? Or pm me and I'll send you my e-mail

 

[lornagreenwood]

I'm going to delete the longname for state. Thank you.

<TABLE style="WIDTH: 235pt; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=313 border=0 x:str><COLGROUP><COL style="WIDTH: 61pt; mso-width-source: userset; mso-width-alt: 2962" width=81><COL style="WIDTH: 56pt; mso-width-source: userset; mso-width-alt: 2742" width=75><COL style="WIDTH: 62pt; mso-width-source: userset; mso-width-alt: 2998" width=82><COL style="WIDTH: 56pt; mso-width-source: userset; mso-width-alt: 2742" width=75><TBODY><TR style="HEIGHT: 13.5pt" height=18><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; WIDTH: 61pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 13.5pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" width=81 height=18>AL</TD><TD class=xl25 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; WIDTH: 56pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" width=75>Alabama</TD><TD class=xl24 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; WIDTH: 62pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" width=82 x:num="1.25">$ 1.25 </TD><TD class=xl24 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; WIDTH: 56pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" width=75 x:num="0.8">$ 0.80 </TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15pt; mso-height-source: userset" height=20><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=20>AK</TD><TD class=xl25 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">Alaska</TD><TD class=xl24 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" x:num="1.25">$ 1.25 </TD><TD class=xl24 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" x:num="0.9">$ 0.90 </TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 12.75pt" height=17><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 12.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=17>AZ</TD><TD class=xl25 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">Arizona</TD><TD class=xl24 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" x:num="0.75">$ 0.75 </TD><TD class=xl24 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" x:num="0.8">$ 0.80 </TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 13.5pt" height=18><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 13.5pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=18>AR</TD><TD class=xl25 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">Arkansas</TD><TD class=xl24 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" x:num="1.25">$ 1.25 </TD><TD class=xl24 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" x:num="0.6">$ 0.60 </TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 12.75pt" height=17><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 12.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=17>CA</TD><TD class=xl25 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">California</TD><TD class=xl24 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" x:num="1.25">$ 1.25 </TD><TD class=xl24 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" x:num="1.1">$ 1.10 </TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15pt; mso-height-source: userset" height=20><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=20>CO</TD><TD class=xl25 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">Colorado</TD><TD class=xl24 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" x:num="0.75">$ 0.75 </TD><TD class=xl24 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" x:num="0.6">$ 0.60 </TD></TR><TR style="PAGE-BREAK-BEFORE: always; HEIGHT: 12.75pt" height=17><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 12.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=17>CT</TD><TD class=xl25 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">Connecticut</TD><TD class=xl24 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" x:num="0.75">$ 0.75 </TD><TD class=xl24 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" x:num="0.7">$ 0.70 </TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 12.75pt" height=17><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 12.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=17>DE</TD><TD class=xl25 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">Delaware</TD><TD class=xl24 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" x:num="0.75">$ 0.75 </TD><TD class=xl24 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" x:num="0.5">$ 0.50 </TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 12.75pt" height=17><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 12.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=17>DC</TD><TD class=xl25 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">DC</TD><TD class=xl24 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" x:num="1">$ 1.00 </TD><TD class=xl24 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" x:num="0.8">$ 0.80 </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[c_m_s_jr]

Ok so what do you want to accomplish exactly? I don't understand what you are looking up against and what you are trying to return.

 

[lornagreenwood]

I want my team to be able to input a state abbreviation and have the spreadsheet return the appropriate factor for that state for two separate products. Sorry if I'm not good at communicating my needs.

 

[c_m_s_jr]

Ok, so why won't vlookup work?

Assuming the state value you want to lookup is in E1 so in F1

=VLOOKUP(E1,$A$1:$D$100,3,FALSE)

**EDIT** in G1
=VLOOKUP(E1,$A$1:$D$100,4,FALSE)

 

[lornagreenwood]

I'll try it - Excel's explanation of, "If lookup_value is smaller than the smallest value in the first column of table_array, VLOOKUP returns the #N/A error value" threw me because the first column will be alpha. If Excel's going to try to determine if a number is smaller than a letter, well - am I making it harder?

 

[c_m_s_jr]

I believe that is referring to if you use TRUE at the end. FALSE looks for an exact match.

 

[lornagreenwood]

Thank you - getting a #REF! error, clearly user error...will tinker. Really do thank you!

 

[lornagreenwood]

Here's my actual based on location of the data. C2 is the human input field, & I want it to look in column M 52-102 for the match, then return the data in the second column (deleted the long name for state)

=VLOOKUP(C2,$M$52:$M$102,2,FALSE)

all data is entered. I can't figure out why I'm getting a #REF! error.