Are you ready to unlock the power of nested queries in Google Sheets? Nested queries allow you to write a query inside another query, taking your data analysis to the next level. In this article, I’ll guide you through the process and provide examples to help you understand and implement nested queries effectively.
Understanding Nested Queries
Before we dive into the examples, let’s briefly go over how nested queries work. In a nested query formula, a query is written inside another query. The result of the subquery, also known as the inner query, is then used to execute the outer query. This nesting allows for complex data filtering and analysis.
Tables for Testing
To follow along with the examples, let’s create three tables in Google Sheets. You can copy and paste the following data into your own spreadsheet:
Table 1: Product
This table should be copied to the range A2:D7 on ‘Sheet1’
Table 2: Vendor
Copy the data to the range F2:G6 on the same sheet.
Table 3: Product and Vendor
Copy this table to the range I2:J8 on ‘Sheet1’.
Problems to Solve
Now that we have our tables set up, let’s solve two common problems using nested query formulas in Google Sheets:
- Return the Product ID (P_ID) using the Vendor Name (V_Name).
- Return the Product Name (P_Name) using the Vendor Name (V_Name).
To solve these problems, we’ll need to use the SQL-like IN operator in our nested query formulas. If you’re not familiar with the IN operator, don’t worry, we’ll cover it as we go along.
Solving Problem #1: Returning Product ID with Vendor Name
Our first problem involves filtering the data to return the Product ID (P_ID) based on the Vendor Name (V_Name). Let’s break it down step by step:
- Filter Table 2 to extract the V_IDs (Vendor IDs) where the Vendor Name is “Vendor A” or “Vendor C”. The subquery formula for this is:
=query(F3:G,"SELECT F WHERE G = 'Vendor A' OR G = 'Vendor C'")This subquery will return the V_IDs “V1” and “V3”.
- We then filter the first column of Table 3 (Product and Vendor) using the extracted V_IDs as the criterion. Without nesting, the formula would be:
=query(I3:J,"SELECT I WHERE J MATCHES 'V1|V3'")You can replace “V1” and “V3” with the cell references that contain the results of the subquery.
- To use nested queries and combine the subquery and query, the formula becomes:
=query(I3:J,"SELECT I WHERE J MATCHES '"&TEXTJOIN("|", true, query(F3:G,"SELECT F WHERE G = 'Vendor A' OR G = 'Vendor C'"))&"'")The above formula demonstrates the power of nested queries in Google Sheets.
Solving Problem #2: Returning Product Names with Vendor Name
Now let’s tackle the second problem, which involves finding the Product Names (P_Name) supplied by “Vendor A” or “Vendor C”. We’ll follow similar steps as before:
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Filter the Vendor ID (V_ID) from Table 2 using the Vendor Names (V_Name) as the criterion. This step is already covered in the previous nested query formula.
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Use the nested query as the subquery in another query to filter the Product IDs (P_ID) from Table 3. Without nesting, the formula would be:
=query(A3:D,"SELECT B WHERE A MATCHES '"&TEXTJOIN("|", true, L2:L5)&"'")Replace the range L2:L5 with the cell references containing the nested query result.
- Finally, replace the range L2:L5 with the nested query to complete the nested query formula:
=query(A3:D,"SELECT B WHERE A MATCHES '"&TEXTJOIN("|", true, query(I3:J,"SELECT I WHERE J MATCHES '"&TEXTJOIN("|", true, query(F3:G,"SELECT F WHERE G = 'Vendor A' OR G = 'Vendor C'"))&"'"))&"'")With this nested query formula, you can easily find the Product Names supplied by the desired Vendors.
Conclusion
Congratulations! You’ve learned how to master nested queries in Google Sheets. Nested queries are a powerful tool that allows you to perform complex data analysis and filtering. By understanding the syntax and following the examples provided, you can leverage nested queries to gain valuable insights from your data.
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