Automatically Update Cell Based on Another Column Data in Excel

[viveb]

I am having trouble creating a formula that will allow me to update one cell, based on the value of another cell. I know there is a vlookup function but I cannot seem to figure out how exactly to get it to work. Any help would be greatly appreciated. What I have is the following

Master List
Name State
John Doe VA
Jane Doe MA
Rob Smith CA


Secondary List
Name State
John Doe
Jane Doe
Rob Smith


- What I need to do is to somehow "lookup" the name that is in the master list, and based on that name, populate the "state" column that is in the secondary list. So if the name from the secondary list, matches the name from the master list, then the formula will automatically fill in the corresponding 'state' field with the correct state based on the name match.

Thank you again!

 

[xlhelp]

=vlookup(SecondaryCellinColumnA,PrimaryList,2,False)

This will go beside the secondary column, Primary list will include both columns (e.g. $A$1:$B$425)


I don't need Google, my family knows everything

 

[SkipVought]

hi,

Your Master List APPEARS (and I could be wrong) that ALL the data is in ONE COLUMN.

Assuming that it is all in column A, you must parse the state abbrevaiation into column B AND the name that remains in column A must be free of trailing SPACES.

Skip,

_{Just traded in my old subtlety...
for a NUANCE!}

 

[viveb]

Hi, no i tried to show it as two different columns. There is a column "Name" and a column "state'