When people ask me what my favorite software of all time is, my answer is always Microsoft Excel. True, I am a proponent of both Linux and LibreOffice, but the fact is, nothing compares to Microsoft Office. If I have to do some serious data analysis and need to work with spreadsheets, I want real Excel. Can I get by with LibreOffice Calc? I mean, yes, but I'd rather not.

When looking to tell stories with data, I often turn to the VLOOKUP function -- one of the most important and powerful tools found in Microsoft Excel. Believe it or not, VLOOKUP may be on its way to extinction, thanks to the release of XLOOKUP, which is basically VLOOKUP on steroids. While Office Insiders have been able to play with this new function, beginning today, it is finally available to all.

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"The highly anticipated XLOOKUP function in Excel is generally available for all users across Windows, Mac, and Excel on the web. XLOOKUP is the successor to the iconic VLOOKUP function, which has been one of the most used functions in Excel. XLOOKUP helps users find what they need more efficiently with fewer limitations, from being able to look up a value vertically and horizontally (and to the left!) to supporting column insertions and deletions and more," says The Excel team

The team also says, "Previously, we released XLOOKUP to Office Insiders and received lots of excitement and feedback on the feature. While you can still perform VLOOKUP functions, we encourage you to try XLOOKUP for better and faster results."

Obviously, pulling VLOOKUP from Excel would anger and upset people that use it regularly, but the fact of the matter is, the writing is on the wall -- XLOOKUP will eventually replace VLOOKUP entirely. With the successor being easier to use and more powerful, there is no reason to avoid its use other than fear of change. If you want to learn how to properly utilize XLOOKUP, you can read this helpful page.