SPEED QUESTION: EQUAL v. VLOOKUP

[Mr_Phil]

Which is faster?

I have two workbooks. One has all the personnel information and the other has equipment information. They team up to create picking sheets for the warehouse. Each provides information to the other one via vlookups.

I was wondering if instead of doing a vlookup I could simply write =otherworkbook!$etc. To do that I would have to stabilize the data tables so that the data remains in the same place. But, that is not really a problem. I don't have anyway to test it across over 75K vlookups. That's why I am asking y'all. It always pays to know people who are smarter than you.

Thanks for looking

 

[RasGhul]

Index & Match is much faster than Vlookups. Index & Match compares only 2 columns & can look left for match value, Vlookups must scan your whole data set for your match value and can't look left only right.

 

[Fluff]

Setting one cell equal to another like =Sheet1!A1 would be quicker than using a lookup.

 

[RoryA]

A straight link is definitely going to be faster, but if you have O365, performance of lookup functions is much improved: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com...s-now-take-seconds-running-Lookup/ba-p/254199

Even if you don't, if you can sort the data, VLOOKUP can be really fast.

Also, please take a minute to read the forum rules on cross-posting and follow them in future. Thanks.

 

[Mr_Phil]

Also, please take a minute to read the forum rules on cross-posting and follow them in future. Thanks.

Noted. Apologies to all. I thought creeps posting only applied to sub forums within the same board. I reread the part you mentioned to include the explanation of why it is frowned upon. I won't do it again.

Thanks again to everyone for reading z and helping out.