Use the Best Number Format


Use the Best Number Format

There are several ways to apply specific formats to numbers in Microsoft Excel.

Cells command   Select a cell or range of cells, and then click Cells (Format menu). On the Number tab, select the format you want.

Currency Style button
Percent Style button
Comma Style button

Toolbar buttons   Click one of the number formatting buttons.

Formatting in place   Type a number or date in the format you want, including numeric punctuation. If there’s a built-in number format that corresponds to what you have typed, Microsoft Excel automatically applies it to the selected cell or cells.

Number too wide for cell? If you see #### in a cell, it contains a number that is too long to display. You can either widen the column by dragging the border in the column heading, or have the font size adjusted automatically to fit the cell. See Adjust the Spacing and Alignment of Data.

Format special data If you need to format cells to display postal codes, phone numbers, or social security numbers, click Cells (Format menu). On the Number tab, click the Special category. To create your own custom number formats, click the Custom category.

Use conditional formatting You can create special number formats to be displayed only when a cell contains a specific value or falls within a specified range of values. To apply a conditional format, click Conditional Formatting (Format menu). For more information, see Build Alarms into Your Model.

Office Assistant button

Want to know more? Look up Getting Results - Worksheet in Help.

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