Cell formats in Excel: basic concepts

If someone does not remember or does not know, MS Excel is one of the most powerful tools for working not only with tabular data, but also with database arrays created or imported. In this case, each value in the program can have its own functionality. Cell formats in Excel are such that you can specify any value in them, not only numeric, but also percentage, logical.

Cell formats in Excel: what is this?

First of all, you should look at the start page of the program itself, which is usually called a book. It has three default sheets, unless otherwise specified. Switching between adjacent sheets is done by clicking on their name in the status bar.

But data entry is completely different from what many of us used to see in the same text editor Word. In Excel, the default format is automatic data recognition. However, it should not be surprising that sometimes when you enter text or numbers, the system converts the data into its own interpretation.

For example, you can enter a numeric sequence that matches the current date. All cell formats in Excel will be automatically converted. The date under the above condition will be displayed in the first cell of the first row of the first column. In the column next, the date will automatically be set one day later.

If the format is set to a numerical value, there are also tricks here. For example, decimal places may not be displayed. The standard values of Excel tables are such that only an integer is shown. The mantissa is displayed only if you enter data after the comma. In this case, it is rounded. Thus, by entering, for example, the value of the number "pi" (3,14), the user will see the value 3.1 when displaying one character after the point and the set rounding. To display all the characters, you have to set their number in the delimiter parameters.

Another interesting view on the formats of cells in Excel is also interesting. The time at the input can be the same as the current one, provided synchronization with the Internet is provided. But you can edit such data manually.

Cell formats in Excel: what to use?

Tables created in Excel or in any other similar programs, not that supported by most programs of this direction, but can be converted into databases or even into program codes. In a sense, this applies to Visual Basic scripts. Their platform is built into the main Microsoft Office suite. Considering the question of what kind of cell formats there are in Excel, you can distinguish several basic types of input data:

• Numeric;
• Test;
• date and time;
• Exponential;
• Financial and monetary;
• Fractional;
• Interest rates.

There are also lines of additional formats. But, as a rule, if they are used, it is very rare.

How do I change the parameters of a cell?

The cell format is changed by setting a rectangle on the cell. It indicates its active state, with a call to the context menu through the right click, where the corresponding row is selected. For each type of format, you can specify additional conditions. For example, the display of a certain number of decimal places, the presence of a delimiter, currency designation, etc. In additional formats, you can use some interesting things: the introduction of a postal code, a phone number or even a personnel number, used, for example, in "1C Accounting" .

By the way, the formats of cells in Excel "1C Accounting" perceive as their own, but in the text version. It does not even need to export the file. Actually, the files themselves can be easily perceived by other programs working with databases (the same Access, built in the image and the likeness of Excel). In addition, if the created file provides connections or executable scripts for VB, any other program can open and save it in its original form.

Additional settings

No less interesting are some additional parameters of the program itself. For ease of operation and data entry, many settings can be used. They basically involve tracking links to other sheets, attachable files, or even objects. The latter are created in other applications and have a corresponding format, which is not "native" for Excel.

Communication with programming languages

In addition to the above-mentioned Visual Basic language, you can use some other tools. For example, the formats of cells in Excel Delphi-environment can change quite simply. True, sometimes people writing programs based on this language, there may be problems. After all, many people use the string "exRange.NumberFormat: = '0.0';" to change the same numeric format. And this option works only if the fractional part of the number is zero in the cells. If there are other numbers, the format remains text. However, it's not about that now. In this situation, you just need to change the command or use the correct syntax.

Instead of the total

As you can see from all of the above, the formats of cells in Excel are quite diverse. Naturally, in one brief description, it is simply impossible to take into account all the subtleties of working with each format. In addition, if we consider the creation of formulas, the construction of graphs, diagrams, or the installation of some additional calculations, this will take quite a long time.

But in general, any user of entry-level level, even with such brief information, will be able to understand what formats there are in general, how to modify them and adapt them to their needs. To the beginning user to make it will be at first difficult enough. However, if you study all the basics, then such a task will not cause any difficulties.