How to use VLOOKUP if lookup values are comma separated in a single cell?

svidmar

New Member
Joined
May 28, 2018
Messages
1
Hi

I have a question that I can't seem to find a working solution for

In sheet #1 I have a list of ISSN numbers in Column A:

[TABLE="width: 500"]
<tbody>[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]A[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]1[/TD]
[TD]ISSN[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]2[/TD]
[TD]0904-3535[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]3[/TD]
[TD]0941-4355, 1433-7339[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]4[/TD]
[TD]2076-0787[/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]

And in sheet #2 I have the following in columns A and B:

[TABLE="width: 500"]
<tbody>[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]A[/TD]
[TD]B[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]1[/TD]
[TD]ISSN[/TD]
[TD]URL[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]2[/TD]
[TD]0904-3535[/TD]
[TD]www.example.com[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]3[/TD]
[TD]1433-7339[/TD]
[TD]www.example1.com[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]4[/TD]
[TD]2076-0787[/TD]
[TD]www.example2.com[/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]

Task: I need to create a list of URLs in sheet#1 based on ISSN numbers.

I use the VLOOKUP function to look in sheet #2 after the URL's to the corresponding ISSN number. It works fine, when there is only one value in each cell in column A (sheet #1 ) . The problem arises when there are several values in the same cell, separated by a comma (cell A3). The value AFTER the comma is being ignored by the function. I can't figure out how to, as an example, have the VLOOKUP function return "www.example1.com' based on the ISSN '1433-7339', because the value is after the comma in the cell.

I'm "not allowed" to alter the column with the comma separated values, so it's not an option to split the column.

Any ideas on how to do this? Should I use another function, in stead of VLOOKUP?

Any help would be greatly appreciated
 

Excel Facts

Which came first: VisiCalc or Lotus 1-2-3?
Dan Bricklin and Bob Frankston debuted VisiCalc in 1979 as a Visible Calculator. Lotus 1-2-3 debuted in the early 1980's, from Mitch Kapor.
I can't test it but what about
Code:
 =[URL="https://exceljet.net/excel-functions/excel-vlookup-function"]VLOOKUP[/URL]("*"&$H$2&"*",$A$2:$B$4,2,FALSE)
where H2 is value you are looking for?
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0
In B2 of Sheet1 control+shift+enter, not just enter, copy across, and down:

=IFERROR(INDEX(Sheet2!$B$2:$B$4,SMALL(IF(ISNUMBER(SEARCH(SUBSTITUTE(Sheet2!$A$2:$A$4," ","")&",",SUBSTITUTE($A2," ","")&",")),ROW(Sheet2!$A$2:$B$4)-ROW(INDEX(Sheet2!$A$2:$B$4,1,1))+1),COLUMNS($B2:B2))),"")
 
Upvote 0
The standard-entry formula shown below should return multiple results in the corresponding order to the multiple items in column A of Sheet1 and it should not be upset by any blank rows in the table in Sheet2.


Book1
AB
1ISSNURL
20904-3535www.example.com
3
41433-7339www.example1.com
50941-4355www.example3.com
62076-0787www.example2.com
Sheet2



Formula in B2 is copied across and down.


Book1
ABCD
1ISSN
20904-3535www.example.com
30941-4355, 1433-7339www.example3.comwww.example1.com
42076-0787www.example2.com
Sheet1
Cell Formulas
RangeFormula
B2=IFERROR(VLOOKUP(TRIM(MID(SUBSTITUTE($A2,",",REPT(" ",100)),COLUMNS($B:B)*100-99,100)),Sheet2!$A$2:$B$10,2,0),"")
 
Upvote 0

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