The ONLY solution I've found for this is to suffix an alpha character
to all values in the lookup list and reference list. Then, finally,
Excel sees it all as text (of course). Naturally, I do this in a new
column as not to muff up my original data. The MATCH function then
works using these new columns.

But still and all... is this the most professional method of dealing
with this?



On Nov 21, 1:35 pm, c mateland wrote:
Excel 2003

[lookup value = string I'm searching for]
[reference table = list I'm searching in]

I'm looping through a list of lookup values and matching them to
entries in a reference table. All I want is a true/false if the lookup
value exists in the reference table.

When performing a vlookup or match in vba, Excel sees the lookup value
as text data type but sees the reference table as a number data type,
and therefore doesn't make the match. It only has this issue when the
lookup value contains no alpha-charaters. For example, the lookup
value is 52123 and in the reference table is 52123, yet I can't get
Excel to make the match. But if the lookup value contains alpha-
characters, such as X52123, then it matches fine to X52123 in the
reference table.

) The lookup values were exported into Excel via some database
program, and the reference table was exported into Excel from some
other database program.

) All cells are formatted as text.

) I gave up on CountIf also because it couldn't tell the difference
between 052123 and 52123.

Any ideas on how I can get this right?