It sounds like you want to use =vlookup() or =index(match()).

Debra Dalgleish has lots of notes:
http://www.contextures.com/xlFunctions02.html (for =vlookup())
and
http://www.contextures.com/xlFunctions03.html (for =index(match()))
and
http://contextures.com/xlFunctions02.html#Trouble

bazsil,73 wrote:

I want the ability to search a range of cells on a separate tab but instead
of calculating the sum range I want it to enter the text in that range.

Each cell in the range will contain unique text (names) and there will be no
duplicates.

What I think I need is an if function that works similar to the sumif function

--

Dave Peterson