The next look up reference function that I want to share with you is called index.
And before I even jump in.
Just hear me out.
I know this is going to feel like one of those functions where you read it you see what it does and
immediately think to yourself.
All right Chris why am I ever going to need to use the index function.
What it does is so simple that there are a dozen easier ways to do it.
And you're right.
The fact is it just like row and column.
It's one of those functions that no one ever uses by itself.
For that very reason it's so simplistic.
But once you start combining it and using index as a component of other formulas you can open the door
to start doing some some very cool things so I promise it will pay off.
Just hear me out.
So the INDEX function by itself.
All it does is return the value of a specific cell within an array.
So you're just saying hey Excel here's this array of data or array of cells.
I want you to move down to row number five and column number three and tell me the value that you get
.
That's it.
So syntax wise the index formula has three components the array so what range you're looking at row
number which is how many rows down do you want to go and then call them number which is how many columns
over do you want to move.
So in this case here you're going to start from upper left corner of whatever array you specify and
then move down to the row number and over to the column number and Excel will tell you what it finds
in that cell.
So here we're saying let's index the array from A1 1 see 5.
Let's move down to the fifth row and move over to the third column.
And when you do that it returns to 34 because that's the value that it found on the cell that it landed
on.
So again very very simple.
Trust me this will make more sense.
And just a minute.
So hold on to your hats