If you are using VLOOKUP function frequently, it’s time to move away from spreadsheets 
. Launching Lookup: bring values from connected tables to your table guaranteeing data consistency.
It’s now live in beta to all users!
wow… best upgrade ever (since I started using it like 1,5 months ago? Alas, you guys are on fire, the amount of upgrades is out of this world!)
What’s the difference between the VLOOKUP field and using a formula field like {{table.fieldwanted}}
For example, I have a table of Risk Probability (lets call it RiskProb).
It has several fields. ProbabilityName, Description, Chance%
In the Risk Analysis table, user selects between several text fields for the probability of the risk happening. Very Low, Low, Medium, High, Very High. (ProbabilityName)
Then I have two calculated fields in the Risk Analysis Table. {{RiskProb.Description}} and {{RiskProb.Chance%}}
When I select a probabilty name, the two other fields automatically pull up the Description and Chance%.
Doesn´t VLOOKUP does the same as that, or I am being little imaginative here and there many other use cases I am not thinking about?
Basically, the Lookup field does something that you could already do using the formula field, but there was this barrier to understanding this possibility, so we made it easier by creating a specific field for that
Ok. I was expecting it could do the inverse… which you can´t do with the formula field {{table.column}} method… that is, from the connected table (not from the connecting table), search for a record referencing it.
Example: I have a Risk… and I have several Risk Analysis for that Risk.
To relate both tables, I go to the Risk Analysis and created a Connect Table field selecting the Risk table.
Thus, from the Risk Analysis table, I can use VLOOKUP or the {{table.column}} method.
From from the Risk table I can´t use either. Of course, I can have several Risk Analysis connecting to that one Risk. (it’s a 1-n relationship). From one of the “N” tables I can search columns from that 1 table. Because it references a single record from the 1 table, and thus I can check any column from that record.
But from the 1 table, I can´t search columns from the “N”, because there may be multiple records. So how to know WHICH record to look for?
Well… maybe you should do like the XLOOKUP, which can search from first to last or last to first.
So from the Risk Table I have a record with ID RISK007
From the Risk Analysis table I have 5 analysis linked to RISK007…
From the Risk table then, an XLOOKUP would either search for the first record with RISK007 or the last record with it. Of course, first and last here being the data-time of creation of the record, always. (which is constant)