Returning a column reference from MATCH to avoid using INDIRECT with a Named Range-CodePudding

TL;DR: I'm basically trying to obtain a column range such as 'Sheet 1'!$A:$A where the A is obtained by matching the contents of a given cell to a 1:1 range within a sheet referenced by another given cell, for use in a dynamic range.

In the highly probable case where that made zero sense, here's an illustration:

PARAMETERS: A2 = "LIST" | C2 = "FirstName" | Desired result: 'LIST'!$A:$A

And I've obtained that, BUT, I can't use that output ('LIST'!$A:$A) within formulas (namely to create a dynamic range). For instance, here 'LIST'!$A:$A contains 101 cells with values in them:

V3 = NamedFormula = 'LIST'!$A:$A

COUNTA(INDIRECT(V3)) = 101

COUNTA(INDIRECT(NamedFormula)) = 1 because it evaluates to #VALUE and that is a singular result.

Before delving into the topic of using INDIRECT with a Named Range (which I've read about and am still getting over my confused grief), I'm realizing my Names are getting a bit out of hand. I tend to use Excel like a mad scientist. So, in case there's a much simpler solution to what I'm trying to do, here's my actual mission:

0. I'm building a tool to simplify a process where email addresses are built from different data, which needs to run without any scripts, only formulas.

1. A tab with no imposed name would contain a user database with minimally (firstname and lastname OR IDs) AND (potentially other data columns) in no specific order. Tool users would import that tab from wherever the data got to them depending on the client, and would only need to copy-paste relevant headers to the main tab without changing anything else here for data integrity.

2. The main tab would have specific input fields where tool users would paste in the name of the imported tab as well as the labels of the columns they need (for instance, the labels in the first row of the columns containing the first name and the last name), and an input field for the domain name to use to build those email addresses.

3. A Data tab is referenced for cleaning and preparing strings for email address formats.

4. The Export tab would spew out a list of clean email addresses that can be exported to CSV.

The Data tab is just 2 columns to use with SUBSTITUTE so that for instance apostrophes are removed but accented letters are normalized (é -> e). I've used LAMBDA within Names to get there. The problem is to tie everything in - to get those Named ranges into the final formula.

The Names I'm using so far (I'd like to use fewer but testing specific parts extended beyond simple usage I fear):

ALPH ={"A";"B";"C";"D";"E";"F";"G";"H";"I";"J";"K";"L";"M";"N";"O";"P";"Q";"R";"S";"T";"U";"V";"W";"X";"Y";"Z"}

LABELS =LAMBDA(labelname,ADDRESS(2,MATCH(labelname,INDIRECT("'"&PARAMETERS!$A$2&"'!$1:$1"),0),1,1,PARAMETERS!$A$2))

RANGECOL =LAMBDA(labelname,COLUMN(INDIRECT(LABELS(labelname))))

RNCOL =LAMBDA(label,"'"&PARAMETERS!$A$2&"'!$"&INDEX(ALPH,RANGECOL(label))&":$"&INDEX(ALPH,RANGECOL(label)))

I haven't tied everything in the Data tab yet - I'm still trying to automate my main tab before pushing further and using the Data tab substitutions on top of everything. That will be the next step, not my current focus. But, for the curious and interested, on the Data tab I'm using something something I found on ablebits which works wonders =]

So, now if I use the offset range with a static LIST!A:A it works:

=IF($C$2<>"",LOWER(INDEX(OFFSET(INDIRECT(ADDRESS(2,MATCH($C$2,INDIRECT("'"&$A$2&"'!$1:$1"),0),1,1,$A$2)),0,0,COUNTA(LIST!A:A)-1,1),ROW())),"") &IF($C$3<>"","."&LOWER(INDEX(OFFSET(INDIRECT(ADDRESS(2,MATCH($C$3,INDIRECT("'"&$A$2&"'!$1:$1"),0),1,1,$A$2)),0,0,COUNTA(LIST!A:A)-1,1),ROW())),"") &"@"&$C$4

But when I try to use the dynamic RNCOL($C$3) it does not:

=IF($C$2<>"",LOWER(INDEX(OFFSET(INDIRECT(LABELS($C$2)),0,0,COUNTA(INDIRECT(RNCOL($C$2)))-1,1),ROW())),"") &IF($C$3<>"","."&LOWER(INDEX(OFFSET(INDIRECT(LABELS($C$3)),0,0,COUNTA(INDIRECT(RNCOL($C$3)))-1,1),ROW())),"") &"@"&$C$4

This just gives #REF, and evaluating shows the digression starting at INDIRECT(RNCOL($C$3)) equating to #VALUE.

I'm starting to see double here but my undying and completely normal love for Excel prevents me from going home from work as I'm way too far down the rabbit hole to let my obsession die here.

Any pointers as to how this can work? Note - all of the names in the supplied sheet were generated by an online fake name generator, nothing in here is actual user data #GDPR

Thanks in advance! <3

Test sheet is available via Google Drive.

CodePudding user response：

Your current set-up is not good for many reasons, and in my opinion would require a complete overhaul, the scope of which lies beyond a response on this website.

As to a 'quick fix' to your current issue, the reason your formula in E1 is currently returning an error is due to the fact that, as you can see via stepping through with the Evaluate Formula tool, the part

COUNTA(INDIRECT(RNCOL($C$2)))-1

is resolving to

COUNTA(INDIRECT({"'LIST'!$A:$A"}))-1

and this is not the same as

COUNTA(INDIRECT("'LIST'!$A:$A"))-1

in that the value being passed to INDIRECT is an array in the former though not in the latter. Although INDIRECT can accept arrays, it is only within certain constructions in conjunction with other suitable functions; here it will simply error.

And the reason that it is returning an array is due to the fact that RNCOL($C$2) is returning an array, and that is because that function is defined as

=LAMBDA(label,"'"&PARAMETERS!$A$2&"'!$"&INDEX(ALPH,RANGECOL(label))&":$"&INDEX(ALPH,RANGECOL(label)))

and, since RANGECOL($C$2) resolves to 1 here, the above is equivalent to

"'PARAMETERS!$A$2'!$"&INDEX(ALPH,1)&":$"&INDEX(ALPH,1)

Here, because you are omitting the column_num parameter from INDEX, the part

INDEX(ALPH,1)

is resolving to

{"A"}

which is an array (albeit one comprising a single value) and technically different from

"A"

In most circumstances, this is not an issue. As such, it is almost always unnecessary to pass both a row_num and column_num parameter to INDEX when indexing a one-dimensional array. Here, however, it matters.

You can resolve this by explicitly including a column_num parameter, i.e. redefine RNCOL as

=LAMBDA(label,"'"&PARAMETERS!$A$2&"'!$"&INDEX(ALPH,RANGECOL(label),1)&":$"&INDEX(ALPH,RANGECOL(label),1))