Search data in cells, based on a lookup of the data in the title of the column

[1BethDavi]

I need to be able to search for data in a specific row of a worksheet based on a given search criteria listed that will be found in the title of that column. In other words, say I have dates across the page as the title to various columns and employees names on the left of the sheet, with a cell that I will enter a date that I wish to use in order to que my answers. I want to be able to say "Look for this date (pointing to a separate cell containing the date) in the column titles specified and return the value found in that column for this given row."


I'm so frustrated because I don't know if I have to use the vlookup function combined with something I'm missing, or if I'm going about this all wrong. The data is already entered in the columns, I just need to access it to make payroll easier for one of my special clients.


Thanks for any help you can offer.

 

[SirJB7]

Hi, 1BethDavi!


First of all welcome to Chandoo's website Excel forums. Thank you for your joining us and glad to have you here.


As a starting point I'd recommend you to read the three first green sticky topics at this forums main page. There you'll find general guidelines about how this site and community operates (introducing yourself, posting files, netiquette rules, and so on).


Among them you're prompted to perform searches within this site before posting, because maybe your question had been answered yet.


Feel free to play with different keywords so as to be led thru a wide variety of articles and posts, and if you don't find anything that solves your problem or guides you towards a solution, you'll always be welcome back here. Tell us what you've done, consider uploading a sample file as recommended, and somebody surely will read your post and help you.


And about your question...


Give a look at this file:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/60558749/Search%20data%20in%20cells%2C%20based%20on%20a%20lookup%20of%20the%20data%20in%20the%20title%20of%20the%20column%20%28for%201BethDavi%20at%20chandoo.org%29.xlsx


Assuming your data is in A1:D4, date argument in cell I1, and value for search row in cell I2, the formula is:

=INDICE($A$1:$D$4;COINCIDIR(I2;$A$1:$A$4;0);COINCIDIR(I1;$A$1:$D$1;0)) -----> in english: =INDEX($A$1:$D$4,MATCH(I2,$A$1:$A$4,0),MATCH(I1,$A$1:$D$1,0))


Regards!