Have you ever wanted to search for a specific value in Google Sheets and then offset cells to the left or right of that value? Well, get ready to learn a simple yet powerful technique that will revolutionize the way you work with Google Sheets.
Search a Value and Offset Cells: The Basics
Before we dive into the details, let’s establish a basic understanding of what we’re trying to achieve. Imagine you have data organized with month names in one column and corresponding values in the next column. Let’s say you want to search for a specific value, like “A”, and return its corresponding header. Traditionally, this task would result in a blank cell because there is no direct way to offset cells in Google Sheets. However, with the technique we’re about to reveal, you can easily offset cells and obtain the desired results.
Searching a Value and Offset Cells to the Left
To achieve this, we will utilize the powerful FILTER function in Google Sheets. Initially, the formula would look like this:
=filter($A$1:$H$1,A2:H2="A")However, this formula alone would only return a blank cell. To offset one cell to the left, we can modify the formula as follows:
=filter({0,$A$1:$H$1},{A2:H2,0}="A")By inserting this formula in cell J2, you can begin offsetting cells to the left and obtain the desired results. In case you want to offset two cells to the left, simply add an additional zero within both arrays:
=filter({0,0,$A$1:$L$1},{A2:L2,0,0}="A")Searching a Value and Offset Cells to the Right
Similarly, we can search for a value and offset cells to the right. The formula used here is slightly different, but the concept remains the same. Consider the formula below:
=filter({$A$1:$L$1,0,0},{0,0,A2:L2}="A")This formula searches for the value “A” in row #2 and offsets it two cells to the right in the first (header) row.
Handling Multiple Values and Removing Errors
In some cases, you may encounter multiple matches in your search, resulting in multiple values being returned. If you only want the first match, you can use the INDEX function:
=index(filter({$A$1:$L$1,0,0},{0,0,A2:L2}="A"),0,1)Alternatively, if you want to retrieve all the values, you can use the TEXTJOIN function:
=textjoin(", ",true,filter({$A$1:$L$1,0,0},{0,0,A2:L2}="A"))To handle any potential errors, such as a #N/A error, simply wrap the formula with IFNA.
An Alternative Approach: The HLOOKUP Version
Although the FILTER function is highly recommended, you can also achieve similar results using the HLOOKUP function. However, it’s important to note that the HLOOKUP function does not return multiple offset values.
For those curious about using HLOOKUP, here is an example of how to search for the value “A” and offset two cells to the left:
=hlookup("A",{{A2:L2,0,0};{0,0,$A$1:$L$1}},2,0)As you can see, the key to offsetting cells is to modify the range in the HLOOKUP function by adding extra columns to the left or right, depending on the desired offset.
In summary, by using either the FILTER or HLOOKUP function, you can search for a specific value and offset cells in Google Sheets. This technique opens up a world of possibilities for manipulating and analyzing your data. So go ahead, give it a try, and unlock the full potential of Google Sheets!
For more useful tips and tricks, visit Crawlan.com. Happy sheeting!
