My error: VLOOKUP table should be absolute addresses e.g $A$2:$B$500.

This is why got your (my!) error condition.

Also see Harlan's note.

"charles" wrote:

Thanks Toppers
I tried that, but the problem I have is that the ID that need to be replaced
will occure more than once. I've got an employee list of about 20000 folks so
I could have 2000 or so working at one location and I need to make sure that
when I do this converstion that all 2000 get their ID number translated. I
tried what you said below and anytime there was a duplicate occurance of a
location code, the translation came back with #NA???

Thanks again,
Charles

"Toppers" wrote:

Charles,
VLOOKUP function is one way, with table of branch codes
and system codes.

In a spare column put:

=vlookup(branchcode,Sheet2!A2:B500,2,false)

and copy down. When succesful, you can replace the branch codes with system
codes as required.

where branchcode = cell containing Branch code

A2:B500 is a table of branch codes(A) and system codes(B) on (for example)
Sheet2

The following produces an error if there is no branch match:

=If(iserror(vlookup(branchcode,Sheet2!A2:B500,2,fa lse)),"Invalid
branch",vlookup(branchcode,Sheet2!A2:B500,2,false) )

HTH

"charles" wrote:

I'm sorry if this is already here somewhere, but I could't find any references.

I need to upload a list of people into our computer system and this list is
comprised of their names and the code for the branch where they work. The
computer system into which I need to upload this list will not recognize the
current branch ID code for those employees, but I do have a list that is
basically a comparison of the two different codes. For example branch code
800 on the list equals branch code C001 in the system. I need to get a way in
excel to convert all the branch codes that are next to the employees to the
code I have currently in our system. Is there a way in Excel to "translate"
the existing (non-system recognized) codes into the ones that they euate to
in the system? I'm sorry if this is a basic question. I only starte using
Excel a little while ago and am learning as I'm going.

Thanks