In the past Chandoo has written about custom Number Formats for cells:
http://chandoo.org/wp/2008/02/25/custom-cell-formatting-in-excel-few-tips-tricks/
http://chandoo.org/wp/tag/custom-cell-formatting/
and I have written about Custom Number Formats for Charts:
http://chandoo.org/wp/2011/08/19/selective-chart-axis-formating/
http://chandoo.org/wp/2011/08/22/custom-chart-axis-formating-part-2/
This post examines a technique for quickly developing Custom Number Formats for Cells, Charts or any other Number location in Excel.
A Technique for Quickly Developing Custom Number Formats
Instead of Selecting the cell, chart axis etc, Ctrl 1, Format Cells/Properties, Number Tab, Custom and then entering a Custom Format and Apply, only to find out that the format is incorrect, try this simple technique below.
1. Enter a few Numbers in 3 cells
Enter 3 numbers, a positive, zero and negative which have values you will expect to receive in your model.
2. Add a Custom Format Cell
In D3 I have entered ##,;-(##,);”Zero”
3. Display Numbers using the custom Format
Each Number to a display cell with a simple =Text(B3,$D$3)
Copy down
This will display the 3 numbers using the Custom Format in Cell D3
4. Develop Your Custom Format
Play around with your own Custom Number Formats to your hearts content
5. Use your new format
Once you have completed your new Custom Number Format, copy the cell contents of D3 in this case.
Select your cells/or other Excel Numbers,
Ctrl 1,
Format Cells/Properties,
Number Tab, Custom
Enter the Custom Format and Apply.
6. Extending the Technique
This technique can be extended by adding several more rows with a larger range of values.
The values are all evaluated at the same time
LIMITATIONS
The above technique does not show the effects of the Color Modifiers in the test cells
But I think it is a safe bet that you will understand what the Modifier [Red] will do
There are also reserved characters such as E
So in the above example if I had used Zero instead of “Zero”
It would have displayed Ze1900ro, where the E in Zero is taken as 10^x and x=0 so Excel interprets e as 0 or 1900, a date?
You can avoid this by using the code “Zero” or Z\ero
DOWNLOAD
You can download the worked Example File used above.
NUMBER FORMATS
For more on Number Formats check out the above links or those below:
http://www.ozgrid.com/Excel/excel-custom-number-formats.htm
http://www.ozgrid.com/Excel/CustomFormats.htm
http://peltiertech.com/Excel/NumberFormats.html
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 ""