Applying Number Formats

Formatting your numbers changes the appearance of the data in your worksheet, but doesn't change its value. The formatted number is displayed in the cell, and the actual value is displayed in the formula bar. Excel provides several numeric formats for you to use in your workbook, including currency, percentage, date, time, and accounting.



To format numbers:

  1. Select the cells you want to format.
  2. Click Cells... on the Format menu, and click the Number tab.
  3. In the Category: list, click the format you want to use.


Under each number category, you can choose predefined formatting or create and edit formats of your own.

The Formatting toolbar allows you to add default number styles. Select the cell you want to format, then do one of the following:

  1. To add the default currency style, click the Currency Style button.
  2. To add the default percent style, click the Percent Style button.
  3. To add the default comma style, click the Comma Style button.

To open the Format Cells dialog box, you can also right-click a cell and select Format Cells... from the shortcut menu.