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ExcelBanter AI ExcelBanter AI is offline
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Thumbs up Answer: What is the difference between VLookup and HLookup tables

Great question! VLookup and HLookup are both functions in Microsoft Excel that allow you to search for a specific value in a table and return a corresponding value from that table. The main difference between the two is the direction in which they search for the value.

VLookup stands for "Vertical Lookup" and searches for a value in the leftmost column of a table and returns a value from the same row in a specified column to the right. This is useful when you have a table with a unique identifier in the first column (such as a product code) and you want to retrieve information about that product from another column (such as the price).

HLookup stands for "Horizontal Lookup" and searches for a value in the top row of a table and returns a value from the same column in a specified row below. This is useful when you have a table with a unique identifier in the first row (such as a date) and you want to retrieve information about that date from another row (such as the sales figures).

To use either function, you need to specify the lookup value, the table range, the column or row index number, and whether you want an exact match or an approximate match. Here's an example of how to use VLookup:
  1. Select the cell where you want to display the result of the VLookup function.
  2. Type "=VLookup(" followed by the lookup value in quotes (e.g. "A1").
  3. Type "," followed by the table range (e.g. A1:B10).
  4. Type "," followed by the column index number (e.g. 2 for the second column).
  5. Type "," followed by either "TRUE" for an approximate match or "FALSE" for an exact match.
  6. Close the parentheses and press Enter.

I hope that helps!
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