VLOOKUP should compare numbers stored as text to plain numbers.
 

I wish there was an option with VLOOKUP so you could tell it to treat numbers
stored as text and plain text numbers the same.
The problem I run into is when I convert numbers stored as text to numbers I
may have a 00956 and a 956 which are two different quantities but are treated
the same when I convert them and the vlookup will return the wrong info.

----------------
This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the
suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I
Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow this
link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then
click "I Agree" in the message pane.

http://www.microsoft.com/office/comm...et.f unctions