MS Excel Forumlae

Question

I have always used Excel for basic forumlae functions. I havnt needed to use advanced forumlae's before to gather information. However, today I do and I have been looking at Google for a while for the answers. Managed to work out a few things I needed. I am trying to do something else now. I will try and describe the situation.

I have two seperate spreadsheets - an old one and a new one. They both have the same columns. However, the newer one has recent up to-date information.

The old document looks something like this:

    Column A | Column B | Column C | .... | .... | .... |
    Fixed      726495     ........
    Stuck      728496     ........
    Fixed      274569     ........
    Fixed      357697     ........
    .....      ......     ........

The new document and what I want it to do will look something like this.

    Column A | Column B | Column C | .... | .... | .... |
    Fixed      726495     ........
    Stuck      728496     ........
    Fixed      274569     ........
    NEW        974865     ........
    .....      ......     ........

As you can see what the new document has done is compared Column B in both documents and retreived Column A's information to that match. If it doesnt match and cant be found because its new information it will simply say "NEW". all this information is under filters so Im not sure if that makes it more difficult?

Just a background to help. I am working on a new spreadsheet system for checking if patients have already had their operations and if they have I check them in and out retrospectively. All the ones that say fixed shouldnt show up on the newer spreadsheet unless they are "Stuck" which I will have to check later on down the line. Since hospitals at the moment are understaff nurses may not admit and discharge patients properly so I have to go back and remedy the situation.

Answer 1

Use this formula in second workbook in cell A1 and drag it down:

for Ecxel 2007 or later:

=IFERROR(INDEX([Book1.xlsx]Sheet1!$A:$A,MATCH(B1,[Book1.xlsx]Sheet1!$B:$B,0)),"NEW")

for Excel 2003:

=IF(ISERROR(INDEX([Book1.xls]Sheet1!$A:$A,MATCH(B1,[Book1.xls]Sheet1!$B:$B,0))),
      "NEW", INDEX([Book1.xls]Sheet1!$A:$A,MATCH(B1,[Book1.xls]Sheet1!$B:$B,0)))