If there is not match in the first column of the lookup table, your =vlookup()
formula will return #n/a. The =if(isna(...), ...
looks to see if that error is returned.

Your =vlookup() formula could return a few things:
A value (like 400 or 500 in your example)
An empty string ("") if the "sending" cell was empty.
or that #n/a error.

If the value is returned then
=1/len(500)
won't cause an error.

If that empty string ("") is returned, then this:
=1/len("")
is the same as
=1/0
which will cause a division by 0 error (#div/0!)

If the #n/a error is returned then:
=1(len(#n/a))
will cause an error (since it's not numeric).

So in either of the last two cases, "" or #n/a, an error would have been
returned.



Raz wrote:

thanks Dave, it worked.

but i would like to know what is 1/len
and what is isna
would you please explain, thanks

"Dave Peterson" wrote:

=if(isna(vlookup(...)),"not available",if(vlookup(...)="","Not available",
vlookup(...)))

or

=if(iserror(1/len(vlookup(...))),"not available",vlookup(...))



Raz wrote:

I guess I am not making sense here, or you are not getting my problem.

So, i will explain the situation a little more.

here is how my workseet looks.

A B L M
1 John 400 John 400
2 Mack 500

I have the equation/function in B1, when i type John in A1 the function
should lookup in the columns L and M for 'John' and corresponding number in
Column M.
Then the function should return 400 (this case). But if the M1 is blank,
then the function should return "Not Available" in B2.

I hope this make sense, all the previous equations were returning 0, where I
want it to return "Not available" if M1 is blank.

--

Dave Peterson


--

Dave Peterson