Have you ever found yourself wondering how to find the latest value in Excel and Google Sheets? Well, look no further! In this article, we’ll explore the differences in the Lookup Latest Value feature between these two popular spreadsheet applications.
Excel: Finding the Latest Value
Let’s start with Excel. In Excel, you can use the LOOKUP function to find the latest value in a column. The syntax is similar in Google Sheets, with a few minor differences. Let me explain.
Imagine you have an Excel dataset where you want to search for the latest price of an item. For example, let’s say you are searching for the latest price of the item “Hats.”
To achieve this, you can use the following formula in Excel:
=LOOKUP(2,1/(B2:B10=F2),D2:D10)Here’s how it works. The lookup_value (search key) is set to 2 instead of the actual search key “Hats.” This is because the LOOKUP function in Excel searches for the largest value in the lookup_vector that is less than or equal to the lookup_value. In this case, the lookup_vector contains the keyword “Hats” in column B, and the search key is 2.
But why 2? By using the formula 1/(B2:B10=F2), we create a virtual lookup_vector that returns 1 wherever the keyword “Hats” matches. The LOOKUP function recognizes this virtual lookup_vector and returns the corresponding value from the result_vector (column D).
Finding the Latest Value Based on Multiple Conditions
Now, let’s take it a step further and consider multiple conditions. In Excel, you can modify the formula to incorporate multiple search keys as shown in the example below:
=LOOKUP(2,1/(B2:B10&C2:C10=F5&G5),D2:D10)In this case, we want to find the latest price of the item “Hats” with a size of “S”. The conditions are set in columns B and C, and the search keys “Hats” and “S” are combined using the ampersand (&). The LOOKUP function follows the same logic as before, returning the corresponding value from the result_vector.
Google Sheets: Adding ARRAYFORMULA
In Google Sheets, the process is quite similar. You can use the same LOOKUP formulas we discussed earlier. However, there is one important difference – you need to include the ARRAYFORMULA function.
Here’s an example of the formula for finding the latest value in Google Sheets:
=ArrayFormula(LOOKUP(2,1/(B2:B10=G2),D2:D10))By adding the ARRAYFORMULA function, you ensure that the LOOKUP formula works in multiple cells and returns an array of results. So, make sure to wrap your Lookup formulas with this function in Google Sheets.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the process of finding the latest value in Excel and Google Sheets is quite similar. The LOOKUP function is a powerful tool that allows you to search for the latest value based on specific conditions.
Remember, if you’re using Google Sheets, don’t forget to include the ARRAYFORMULA function. This will ensure that your Lookup formulas work seamlessly across multiple cells.
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