In daily Excel operations, finding and referencing data is a very common task. The two commonly used functions are VLOOKUP and XLOOKUP, which play important roles in different scenarios. The VLOOKUP function has been used as a classic function for many years, but with the update of Excel functions, XLOOKUP has gradually become an alternative solution. This article will provide a detailed introduction to the usage of VLOOKUP and compare it with XLOOKUP to help users better understand the similarities and differences between the two and choose the most suitable function.

Usage of VLOOKUP function

The VLOOKUP function, also known as “Vertical Lookup,” is one of the most commonly used data lookup functions in Excel. It can search for a value by column within a specified table range and return data from other columns in the row where the value is located. The basic syntax of the VLOOKUP function is as follows:

VLOOKUP (search value, table range, column number, [matching method])

-Search value: This is the data you want to search for in the table.

-Table Range: Specify the data area to be searched.

-Column number: represents the number of the column that needs to return data.

-Matching method: Optional parameter, specifying the search method. True indicates approximate matching, while False indicates exact matching.

For example, suppose you have an employee information table that contains data such as employee ID, name, and salary. If you want to search for an employee’s name based on their ID, you can use the following formula:

VLOOKUP(A2, B2:D10, 2, FALSE)

In this formula, A2 is the employee ID to be searched for, B2: D10 is the data range, 2 represents the name returned in the second column, and False represents an exact match.

The advantage of VLOOKUP is that it is simple and easy to use, and can handle most search tasks, but it also has some limitations.

Limitations of VLOOKUP

Although VLOOKUP is a powerful search tool, it is not perfect. Here are some common questions about VLOOKUP:

1. Can only search for data on the left side: VLOOKUP can only return data on the right side of the search value. If the search value is located in the last column of the table, VLOOKUP will not be able to effectively return data.

2. Performance issue: For large datasets, VLOOKUP’s computation speed may be slower.

3. Dynamic column references are not supported: In VLOOKUP, column numbers are static and cannot be dynamically adjusted to their positions as needed.

Alternative to XLOOKUP function

XLOOKUP is a new function in Excel 365 and Excel 2021, used to replace traditional lookup functions such as VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, LOOKUP, etc. The emergence of XLOOKUP aims to address the limitations of VLOOKUP and other search functions, providing a more flexible and efficient search method. The basic syntax of XLOOKUP is as follows:

XLOOKUP (Find value, Find range, Return range, [If not found], [Match method], [Search method])

-Search value: The value to be searched for.

-Search range: The data range that includes the search value.

-Return range: The range of target data that needs to be returned.

-If not found: Optional parameter, specifying the return result when the value is not found.

-Matching method: Optional parameter that determines the matching method for searching (exact matching or approximate matching).

-Search method: Optional parameter that defines the direction of the search (from top to bottom or from bottom to top).

A simple example is that if you want to search for an employee’s name based on their ID, and the employee ID and name are no longer necessarily in adjacent columns of the same table, you can use XLOOKUP. Assuming that the employee ID is located in column A and the employee name is located in column B, you can use the following formula:

XLOOKUP(A2, A2:A10, B2:B10)

Here, A2 is the search value, A2: A10 is the search range, and B2: B10 is the returned range.

Comparison between XLOOKUP and VLOOKUP

When using XLOOKUP, we can see that it surpasses VLOOKUP in multiple aspects. The following are the main differences between the two:

1. Column position is not limited: XLOOKUP does not require the lookup value to be located in the first column of the table like VLOOKUP. XLOOKUP can search for data in any column and return data for a specified column, greatly improving flexibility.

2. Support for exact and approximate matching: VLOOKUP may result in incorrect results when using approximate matching, while XLOOKUP can more accurately control the matching method, making the search process more precise.

3. Dynamic data range: XLOOKUP supports the selection of dynamic data range, which can directly map between the search value and the return range without the need for fixed column numbers, avoiding the column number problem in VLOOKUP.

4. Improved error handling: XLOOKUP allows users to specify the default value to return when no value is found, providing more flexibility in handling errors.

5. Search direction selection: XLOOKUP supports bidirectional search from top to bottom or from bottom to top, allowing users to choose the appropriate search method according to their needs, further improving search efficiency.

How to choose between VLOOKUP or XLOOKUP

In practical use, VLOOKUP and XLOOKUP each have advantages, and the choice of which function to use mainly depends on specific needs:

-If the data table is relatively simple and you only need to perform simple search tasks, VLOOKUP may be a good choice, especially in older versions of Excel.

-If the data table is complex and you need more flexible search methods, or if you want to utilize XLOOKUP’s advanced features such as bidirectional search and dynamic column references, then XLOOKUP is obviously a better choice.

Summary

VLOOKUP and XLOOKUP each have their unique advantages and limitations. The VLOOKUP function is simple and easy to use, but it also has some limitations, such as being able to only search for data on the left side and being slow when processing big data. XLOOKUP solves these problems by providing a more flexible and efficient search function, especially in complex data tables and scenarios that require high customization. The advantages of XLOOKUP are particularly prominent.

By choosing between VLOOKUP or XLOOKUP, users can efficiently complete search tasks in Excel and improve work efficiency. For most modern users, XLOOKUP is undoubtedly a better choice, but VLOOKUP is still a good backup tool, especially in environments without updated versions of Excel.