Utilizing XLOOKUP in Excel to Create a Table

Overview

The XLOOKUP function in Excel is designed to search for a value in a range and return a corresponding value from another range. It is a powerful replacement for older functions like VLOOKUP and HLOOKUP, offering enhanced flexibility and functionality. This section provides a practical example using XLOOKUP to create a simple table.

Formula Syntax

The syntax for XLOOKUP is as follows:

XLOOKUP(lookup_value, lookup_array, return_array, [if_not_found], [match_mode], [search_mode])

• lookup_value: The value you want to search for.
• lookup_array: The array or range where the function will search for the lookup_value.
• return_array: The array or range from which to return the corresponding value.
• [if_not_found]: (Optional) What to return if no match is found.
• [match_mode]: (Optional) The match type (0 for exact match, 1 for next larger, -1 for next smaller, 2 for wildcard match).
• [search_mode]: (Optional) Search direction (1 for first-to-last, -1 for last-to-first).

Practical Example

Scenario

Suppose you have a small product inventory with the following data in an Excel sheet:

Task

You want to create a table that returns the product name and price based on the provided Product ID.

Step-by-Step Implementation

1. Data Setup: Assume your data is located in cells A1:C5:

   • A1:C1 contains headers (Product ID, Product Name, Price).
   • A2:C5 contains the data.

2. Using XLOOKUP: Let's say you want to find the Product Name and Price for Product ID 102. You can create two formulas:

   To get the Product Name for Product ID 102:

   =XLOOKUP(102, A2:A5, B2:B5, "Not Found")

   To get the Price for Product ID 102:

   =XLOOKUP(102, A2:A5, C2:C5, "Not Found")

3. Final Table: Now you can create a small output table in another section, say starting from E1.

   Product ID	Product Name	Price
   102	=XLOOKUP(102, A2:A5, B2:B5, "Not Found")	=XLOOKUP(102, A2:A5, C2:C5, "Not Found")

Explanation of the Example

• Product ID (E2): Directly input, e.g., 102.
• Product Name: The formula searches the range A2:A5 for 102, matches it to the corresponding row in B2:B5, and returns "Widget B".
• Price: Similar to Product Name, it searches and returns the price 12.99 from C2:C5.

Conclusion

The XLOOKUP function is a flexible and efficient way to retrieve data from a dataset. This example illustrates how to effectively implement XLOOKUP to create a simple product lookup table. Users can leverage this functionality in various data analysis scenarios, enhancing their ability to manage and analyze data effectively.

For more advanced uses of Excel features including XLOOKUP, consider exploring the Enterprise DNA Platform for additional resources and courses.