1. A few tricks to take you beyond the basics of Microsoft Office 2010
GCPS Tech Tips
A few tricks to take you beyond the basics of Microsoft Office 2010
Microsoft Excel 2010 : Formatting numbers in cells.

2. Excel 2010 : Formatting Numbers in Cells
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3. Excel 2010 : Formatting Numbers in Cells
One of the neatest things that Excel does for you is enter the day’s date with minimal prompting. For example, if it is March 14th and you want that date in a certain cell, you only have to type “3/14” in that cell. As soon as you press the “Tab” key to move to the next cell...

4. Excel turns what you have typed into the day’s date.
Excel 2010 : Formatting Numbers in Cells
Excel turns what you have typed
into the day’s date.

5. Excel 2010 : Formatting Numbers in Cells
In fact, you can choose from over 15 ways of writing the day’s date... and you can set any row, any column, even a whole worksheet to use the number form you like best.

6. Excel 2010 : Formatting Numbers in Cells
To set the number format for a row, you select that row by clicking the number of that row.

7. Then, with your cursor somewhere in the highlighted section,
Excel 2010 : Formatting Numbers in Cells
Then, with your cursor somewhere in the highlighted section,
… click your right mouse button.

8. Excel 2010 : Formatting Numbers in Cells
That will drop down a box of things you can do with those highlighted cells. Click on “Format Cells...”

9. Excel 2010 : Formatting Numbers in Cells
That brings up a box where you can “Format Cells.” You will see a list of things you can format within a cell, a row, a column, or even the whole worksheet.

10. Excel 2010 : Formatting Numbers in Cells
Clicking on the “Date” category will open a list of ways Excel can display the date for you.

11. Choose the one you like, click on it,
Excel 2010 : Formatting Numbers in Cells
Choose the one you like, click on it,

12. Excel 2010 : Formatting Numbers in Cells
click “OK”

13. Excel 2010 : Formatting Numbers in Cells
and thereafter, any “number-slash-number” you enter in that row Excel will display as the date.

14. Excel 2010 : Formatting Numbers in Cells
To set the date format for all the cells in a column, start by selecting a whole column.

15. Excel 2010 : Formatting Numbers in Cells
Then, after right clicking in the highlighted area, go to...
“Format Cells”... “Date”... “Type”... and “OK.”

16. You can even select a whole worksheet
Excel 2010 : Formatting Numbers in Cells
You can even select a whole worksheet
and set it to show any “number-slash-number”
you enter as the date.

17. what happens when you intend to enter a fraction into a cell?
Excel 2010 : Formatting Numbers in Cells
But...
what happens when you intend to enter
a fraction into a cell?

18. Excel 2010 : Formatting Numbers in Cells
Excel doesn’t know any better than to turn it into a date. You need to re-format the way Excel shows numbers in that cell.

19. Excel 2010 : Formatting Numbers in Cells
Once again, select the cell, row, column, or whole worksheet you want to format...

20. Right click in the highlighted area and click on “Format Cells”...
Excel 2010 : Formatting Numbers in Cells
Right click in the highlighted area
and click on “Format Cells”...

21. That opens the formatting box. Look down the list to find “Fraction.”
Excel 2010 : Formatting Numbers in Cells
That opens the formatting box.
Look down the list to find “Fraction.”

22. When you click on “Fraction,” Excel will give you a list of ways
Excel 2010 : Formatting Numbers in Cells
When you click on “Fraction,”
Excel will give you a list of ways
to display fractions.

23. Select the one you want and click “OK.”
Excel 2010 : Formatting Numbers in Cells
Select the one you want and click “OK.”

24. Thereafter, Excel will show fractions as you enter them.
Excel 2010 : Formatting Numbers in Cells
Thereafter, Excel will show fractions
as you enter them.

25. Excel 2010 : Formatting Numbers in Cells
You can show
the numbers you
enter as
“Percentages”

26. Excel 2010 : Formatting Numbers in Cells
Or format them as “Zip Codes,” “Phone Numbers,” or “Social Security Numbers.”

27. in many different formats.
Excel 2010 : Formatting Numbers in Cells
You can show the “Time”
in many different formats.

28. Or you can select “Text” to display things
Excel 2010 : Formatting Numbers in Cells
Or you can select “Text” to display things
exactly as you type them in.

29. Excel 2010 : Formatting Numbers in Cells
That’s all there is to it. Now, if you would like a copy of the step-by-step directions for formatting numbers in cells with Excel 2010, just print this last page. Have fun formatting!
Step-by-Step to format numbers in cells:
Select the cell, row, column, or worksheet
you want to format.
Right click within the selected area
Select “Format Cells”
Click on the category you want to format.
That will open a list of ways Excel can
display that category. Choose one and
and click it.
Click “OK”.
Thereafter, Excel will format that cell, row,
column, or worksheet as you have asked.

30. GCPS Tech Tips
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