In: Root » Computers and technology » Microsoft office » Formatting Numbers, Dates, and Time Values in Excel 2003
Formatting Numbers, Dates, and Time Values When you enter a number that Excel recognizes as belonging to one of its formats, Excel assigns the number format automatically. Enter 45%, for example, and Excel assigns the Percent Style format. Enter $4.25, and Excel assigns the Currency Style format. Besides assigning formats by hand, however, you can assign them to cells from the get-go and spare yourself the trouble of entering dollar signs, commas, percent signs, and other extraneous punctuation. All you have to do is enter the raw numbers. Excel does the window dressing for you. Excel offers five number-formatting buttons on the Formatting toolbar Currency Style, Percent Style, Comma Style, Increase Decimal, and Decrease Decimal. Select cells with numbers in them and click one of these buttons to change the numbers’ formatting: - Currency Style: Places a dollar sign before the number and gives it two decimal places. - Percent Style: Places a percent sign after the number and converts the number to a percentage. - Comma Style: Places commas in the number. - Increase Decimal: Increases the number of decimal places by one. - Decrease Decimal: Decreases the number of decimal places by one. To format dates and time values as well as numbers, choose Format -> Cells and make selections on the Number tab of the Format Cells dialog box. Select a category and choose options to describe how you want numbers or text to appear. To strip formats, including number formats, from the data in cells, choose Edit -> Clear -> Formats. Entering a ZIP Code that starts with a 0 can be problematic because Excel strips the initial 0 from a number if it begins with a 0. To get around that problem, visit the Number tab of the Format Cells dialog box, select Special in the Category list, and choose a ZIP Code option. Formatting Text and NumbersYou know the drill. To change the font or font size of text or numbers, select them and make choices from the Font and Font Size drop-down lists on the Formatting toolbar. To boldface, italicize, or underline text or numbers, click the Bold, Italic, or Underline button on the Formatting toolbar. Or, to do a more thorough job of formatting, choose Format -> Cells, select the Font tab in the Format Cells dialog box, and make your choices there. Sometimes displaying cells slantwise can be a big advantage when your worksheet is a big one. To pack them in a little, you can display them slantwise and reduce the width of the worksheet considerably. Follow these steps to turn column headings on their ear: 1. Select the cells you want to slant. 2. Choose Format -> Cells or press Ctrl+1. You see the Format Cells dialog box. 3. Select the Alignment tab. 4. Drag the marker in the Orientation box or enter an angle in the Degrees text box, and then click OK. Establishing Data-Validation Rules By nature, people are prone to enter data incorrectly because the task of entering data is so dull, and this is why data-validation rules are invaluable. A data-validation rule is a rule concerning what kind of data can be entered in a cell. If the Office Assistant is turned on, the input message comes from the Office Assistant, not a ToolTip. Follow these steps to establish a data-validation rule: 1. Select the cell or cells that need a rule. 2. Choose Data -> Validation. 3. On the Allow drop-down list, choose the category of rule you want. earlier in this article, describes these categories. 4. Enter the criteria for the rule. What the criteria is depends on what rule category you are working in. describes how to enter the criteria for rules in each category. You can refer to cells in the worksheet by selecting them. 5. Select the Input Message tab and enter a title and input message. You can see a title (“Quit Sluffing Off”) and input message (“Enter a number between 24,000 and 32,000”) . The title appears in boldface. Briefly describe what kind of data belongs in the cell or cells you selected. 6. Select the Error Alert tab, choose a style for the symbol on the Message Alert dialog box, enter a title for the dialog box, and enter a warning message. In the error message , the Stop symbol was chosen. The title you enter appears across the top of the dialog box and the message appears beside the symbol. 7. Click OK. To remove data-validation rules from cells, select the cells, choose Data -> Validation, and, on the Settings tab of the Data Validation dialog box, click the Clear All button. |
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