Here is tricky scenario, faced by Basil, our forum member,
I want to have Excel display a wing ding check mark when a user types “y” in a cell. I have been trying to do a substitute formula but putting the symbol in an unused portion of the spreadsheet and calling it to the selected cell but I can’t get it to work. Any thoughts? [more]
There are 2 simple solutions I can think of (other than the solution proposed by Axim5)
1. Using custom cell formatting
This approach is more robust, but a compromise. Instead of “y” and “n”, user should type “1” and “0”. Then we can use custom number formatting to conditionally display the tick mark symbols.
PS: you need to change the font to “wingdings”. 🙂
See this:
2. Using conditional formatting
[This method works only in Excel 2007 and above]
Starting with excel 2007, you can use conditional formatting to set cell format codes as well. This means, when the cell value is Y, we can conditional format the cell to show tick mark symbol. All you have to do is define a new rule, and then go to “number” tab and set the format code you want.
For eg. a code like this will give an output shown to the right.
There you go Basil. Go check all you want.
More resources on cell formatting and conditional formatting:
- Excel Conditional Formatting – 5 tips and tutorials
- Number Formatting in Excel – Tips
- Hiding a cell’s contents using conditional cell formatting
- Number format codes + Chart Labels = Pure fun
What is your favorite number formatting trick?
Share with us using comments.
11 Responses to “Use Alt+Enter to get multiple lines in a cell [spreadcheats]”
@Chandoo:
One more useful trick.......
In a column you have no. of data in rows and need to copy in the next row from the previous row, no need to go for the previous rows but entering Alt + down arrow, you will get the list of data, (in asending order), entered in the previous rows...
This is another great tip. I use this all the time to make sense of some *very* long formulas. As soon as the formula is debugged I remove the break.
Great tip Chandoo!
I use this feature often and it has even gotten the, "how did you do that" response.
Thanks!
@Ketan: Alt+down arrow is an awesome tip. I never knew it and now I am using it everyday.
@Jorge, Tony: Agree... 🙂
[...] Day 1: Insert Line Breaks in a Cell [...]
how can we merge a two sheet.
excellent idea. Chandoo you are genious
Hi chandoo,
I have used ctrl+enter to break the cell. But I did not get the result.
Please tell me how can i break the cell in multiple lines.
Hi, Ranveer,
Its not Ctrl+enter to break the cell, use Alt+Enter to make it happen.
hi Chandoo....
how we can use Alt+Enter in multiple rows at the same time please reply hurry i have lot of work and have no time and i m stuck in this. 🙁
Alt+J worked once 🙁
So I found another more reliable way:
=SUBSTITUTE(A2,CHAR(13),"")
Where A2 is the cell that contains the line breaks which the code for it is CHAR(13). It will replace it with whatever inside the ""