A row-by-row formatting rule is as easy to apply as a column-by-column in Microsoft Excel, but you might not get the results you thought you would.

To pull data from another sheet in Excel, use cell references, use the VLOOKUP function, or use the INDEX and MATCH functions.

SEE: 98 Excel tips every user should master (TechRepublic) How to use VLOOKUP () to compare two sets of data in Microsoft Excel The VLOOKUP () function has been the cornerstone of many Excel apps.