Use Excel comparison function: How to make it work

In English, the comparison function is called a "match function". This describes the process more accurately, because with the comparison function you can find out where a certain value is in a matrix. You can search for different criteria and define the search range yourself.

Making a comparison in Excel

You can use a comparison in Excel to find out where a certain number or value is in your matrix. So you can use a formula to ask in which row a value you are looking for is located and Excel will output the corresponding cell. The comparison function is the basis for using other functions, for example the index function or the VERWEIS function.

This is how the function

1. The formula for a comparison function is as follows: =VERGLEICH(A10;A1:A7;0).
2. In the first place, you specify what is being searched for: So in cell A10 is, for example, the name Müller.
3. In position two and three are, separated by a colon, the ranges that are searched by the function: Excel thus searches in cells A1 to A7 for the name Müller.
4. In the last position is the comparison type, this can be "0", "1" or "-1". "0" searches for the value that exactly matches the searched. "1" searches for the largest value that is less than or equal to the value of the search criterion. "-1" searches for the smallest value that is greater than or equal to the search criterion.