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EXCEL 2003 - Format Numbers as You Type


Instead of going back to format cells after entering data, use these tips to configure Excel to format the cell as you type.

To enter a value in Currency format , type a dollar sign [$] before the value.
For example, type $10.00 to enter 10 dollars in Currency format. (Don't confuse the Currency format with the format generated by the Currency button on the Formatting toolbar, which formats the cells in Accounting format with a dollar sign.)

To enter a value in Fraction format , type 0, press the spacebar, and type the fraction (including the slash).
For example, typing 0, pressing the spacebar, and typing 1/2 enters one-half in Fraction format.

To enter a value in Percentage format , type a percent sign [%] after the value, as in 70%. You can also format cells as text as you type.
For example, if you enter the ZIP code value 08053, Excel formats it as the number 8053 by default.

To configure Excel to format it as text, enter an apostrophe ['] before the value. In this case, typing '08053 formats the cell as the text value 08053.

Format cells dialog box with keyboard shortcut
The keyboard can also help you format cells more quickly.
For example, after clicking a cell, it takes at least two mouse clicks to get to the Format Cells dialog box.
But you can also open this dialog box by pressing Control + 1 .

2/21/05
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