Are you looking for a way to quickly and easily extract a specific value from a table in Google Sheets? Well, lucky for you, Google Sheets has a handy formula for just that! It’s called DGET, and it allows you to easily extract a specific value from a table based on a specified criterion.
The DGET formula is a powerful tool that can save you time and effort when working with tables in Google Sheets. Simply enter the formula, followed by the table range, the field to search, and the criterion, and Google Sheets will return the value that matches the specified criterion. For example, if you entered =DGET(A1:B10, “Name”, “Age”, 18), the formula would return the name of the person who is 18 years old from the table in the range A1:B10. Give it a try and see how it can help streamline your workflow!
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Definition of DGET Function
The DGET function in Google Sheets is a built-in formula that can be used to extract a specific value from a table based on a specified criterion. The formula takes a table range, the field to search, the criterion, and an optional format as input, and returns the value that matches the specified criterion. For example, if you used the formula on a table with the field “Name” and the criterion “Age” equals 18, it would return the name of the person who is 18 years old from the table. This function is useful for quickly and easily extracting specific values from a table in Google Sheets.
Syntax of DGET Function
The syntax for the DGET function in Google Sheets is as follows:
=DGET(database, field, criteria, [value_if_false])
Here, database is a required argument that specifies the range of cells that contains the table from which you want to extract a value. field is a required argument that specifies the column in the table that contains the value you want to extract. criteria is a required argument that specifies the criterion that must be met for the value to be extracted. And value_if_false is an optional argument that specifies the value to return if no matching value is found.
For example, if you entered the formula
=DGET(A1:B10, "Name", "Age", 18)
it would return the name of the person who is 18 years old from the table in the range A1:B10. If no such person is found, the formula would return #VALUE! by default, or the value specified in the value_if_false argument if provided. You can use this result in other formulas or functions, or simply use it to quickly extract specific values from a table in Google Sheets.
Examples of DGET Function
Here are three examples of how to use this function:
- Retrieve a specific value from a database:
=DGET(A1:D4,"Age",A1:B2)
This formula would retrieve the value in the “Age” column from the database in the range A1:D4 that matches the criteria in the range A1:B2.
- Retrieve a sum of values from a database:
=DGET(A1:D4,"Total",A1:B2,"Sum")
This formula would retrieve the sum of the values in the “Total” column from the database in the range A1:D4 that matches the criteria in the range A1:B2.
- Retrieve a minimum value from a database:
=DGET(A1:D4,"Price",A1:B2,"Min")
This formula would retrieve the minimum value in the “Price” column from the database in the range A1:D4 that matches the criteria in the range A1:B2.
Note: In these examples, it is assumed that the database has column headers in the first row and that the criteria range contains the criteria to be used for the lookup. The specific values, ranges, and criteria used in these examples may vary depending on the specific data and requirements of your spreadsheet.
Use Case of DGET Function
Here are a few examples of how the DGET function could be used in real-life situations:
- A sales manager wants to see the total sales for a specific salesperson within a given date range. She could use the DGET function to retrieve the sum of the sales amounts for that salesperson from the database of sales records, using the salesperson’s name and the date range as criteria.
- An HR manager wants to find the lowest salary among all employees with a certain job title. She could use the DGET function to retrieve the minimum salary from the database of employee records, using the job title as the criteria.
- A finance manager wants to see the total expenses for a specific department in a given month. He could use the DGET function to retrieve the sum of the expenses for that department from the database of expense records, using the department name and the month as criteria.
In each of these cases, the DGET function can help the manager quickly and easily retrieve the specific data they need from a large database without having to manually search through the records.
Limitations of DGET Function
The DGET function in Google Sheets is a useful tool for quickly retrieving specific data from a database based on given criteria. However, it does have some limitations that users should be aware of:
- The DGET function only works with databases that are arranged in a table with column headers. If your data is not arranged in this way, you will not be able to use this function.
- The DGET function can only retrieve a single value or statistic (e.g., sum, average, minimum, etc.) from the database. It cannot retrieve multiple values or a range of cells.
- The DGET function only works with databases that are contained within a single worksheet. It cannot retrieve data from multiple worksheets or workbooks.
- The DGET function is not capable of performing any calculations or manipulations on the data it retrieves. For example, if you want to retrieve the sum of values in a column and then divide that sum by the number of values, you will need to use additional formulas to perform the division.
- The DGET function is not capable of handling complex criteria. If you need to use multiple criteria or criteria with logical operators (e.g., AND, OR), you will need to use additional formulas to construct the criteria.
Overall, while the DGET function is a useful tool for quickly and easily retrieving specific data from a database, its limitations may make it unsuitable for more complex data retrieval tasks. In such cases, it may be necessary to use other functions or formulas to achieve the desired results.
Commonly Used Functions Along With DGET
The DGET function in Google Sheets is used to retrieve a value from a specified database, based on certain criteria. Some commonly used functions that can be used with the DGET function include:
- SUM: This function is used to add up the values in a range of cells. For example, you could use the SUM function with the DGET function to sum up all the values in a column that meet a certain criteria.
- COUNT: This function is used to count the number of cells that contain numbers in a range. You could use the COUNT function with the DGET function to count the number of cells that meet a certain criteria in a database.
- AVERAGE: This function is used to calculate the average of a range of cells. You could use the AVERAGE function with the DGET function to calculate the average of all the values in a column that meet a certain criteria.
- MAX: This function is used to find the maximum value in a range of cells. You could use the MAX function with the DGET function to find the maximum value in a column that meets a certain criteria.
- MIN: This function is used to find the minimum value in a range of cells. You could use the MIN function with the DGET function to find the minimum value in a column that meets a certain criteria.
Here’s an example of how you could use the DGET function with the SUM function in Google Sheets:
=SUM(DGET(A1:C5,"Sale Amount",A1:C1="Product A"))
In this example, the DGET function would retrieve the values in the “Sale Amount” column of the database in the range A1:C5, but only for rows where the value in the first column (A1:C1) is “Product A”. The SUM function would then add up all of those values and return the result.
Summary
The DGET function in Google Sheets is a powerful tool that allows you to retrieve a value from a database based on specified criteria. With the DGET function, you can easily extract specific data from a large dataset and use it in further calculations or analysis. The DGET function is often used in conjunction with other functions, such as SUM, COUNT, AVERAGE, MAX, and MIN, to perform various operations on the retrieved data.
Overall, the DGET function is a valuable tool for anyone who needs to work with large datasets in Google Sheets. If you’re looking to get more out of your data, we encourage you to try using the DGET function in your own Google Sheets.
Video: DGET Function
In this video, you will see how to use DGET function. We suggest you to watch the video to understand the usage of DGET formula.