New functions in Excel 365

With Excel 365, Microsoft has brought array formulas much more into mainstream use by introducing a number of revolutionary functions.

Throughout the book, we will explain these new functions, starting in this chapter with XLOOKUP.

XLOOKUP

This powerful new formula combines the features of VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, INDEX, and MATCH, and does so in a much-simplified way while introducing a lot more options.

XLOOKUP has six arguments, three of which are compulsory with the other three optional. This does not make it more difficult or complex. Rather, as you will see, its application is quite simple.

The following screenshot shows the six XLOOKUP arguments:

Figure 3.38 – Example showing the full XLOOKUP syntax

Using the same example as in VLOOKUP as shown previously, the first argument, lookup_value, is the same: BN001 in cell D5.

We begin to see the differences with the second argument, lookup_array.

The following...