colindexnum

Colindexnum is a parameter name used in data-access and spreadsheet interfaces to specify the column index within a tabular data structure from which a value should be retrieved. It is typically an integer and usually interpreted as 1-based, meaning 1 refers to the leftmost column of the provided range or table, 2 to the next column, and so on. The exact spelling and usage vary by API or function, with common variants including col_index_num, ColIndexNum, and colindexnum.

In practice, the concept is most familiar from lookup-like functions. For example, in Excel's VLOOKUP function, the analogous parameter is col_index_num, which selects the column of the table_array from which to return a value. If the specified index is 3 in a four-column table, the value is taken from the third column. If the index is outside the table’s column range, an error is produced. The parameter is typically used to control the result’s source column rather than the lookup column itself.

Notes on usage: while many environments adopt a 1-based convention, some APIs use 0-based indexing, requiring adjustment of the value. Users should consult the specific API or language documentation for the exact naming, indexing base, and error behavior. Colindexnum-like parameters are a common, but not universal, mechanism for selecting a data column in a table-like dataset.

See also: VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, INDEX, MATCH, table_array, 1-based indexing.