Excel: MATCH Function

MATCH

It is an Excel function used to locate the position of a lookup value in a row, column, or table. MATCH supports approximate and exact matching, and wildcards (?,*) for partial matches. Often, MATCH is combined with the INDEX function to retrieve a value at a matched position. MATCH function will always returns the first match. MATCH only supports one-dimensional arrays or ranges- either vertical , or horizontal. However, you can use MATCH to locate values in a two-dimensional range or table by giving MATCH the single row or column that contains the lookup value. You can even use MATCH twice in a single formula to find a matching row and column at the same time. Frequently, the MATCH function is combined with the INDEX function in order to retrieve a value at a certain matched position.

In other words, MATCH figures out the position, and INDEX returns the value at that position. Match type is optional. If not provided, match type defaults to 1 (exact or next smallest). When match type is 1 or -1, it is sometimes referred to as "approximate match". However, keep in mind that MATCH will find an exact match with all match types. 

Arguments OF MATCH Function:

• lookup_value - The value to match in lookup_array.
• lookup_array - A range of cells or an array reference.
• match_type - [optional] 1 = exact or next smallest (default), 0 = exact match, -1 = exact or next largest.