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Knowledge and Techniques of Data Input in Excel (1)

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Starting from this issue, I will focus on the practical knowledge and techniques when inputting data in Excel.

Input Constants

In general, the data to be input to the cells can be classified into the following two types:

1.Constant---e.g. number, date, time, currency format, percentage or text.

2.Formula---e.g. "=A1+A2" where A1 and A2 indicate two cells.

Input Numbers

You can type in the following characters when inputting numbers to the cell:

0~9, +, -, ( ), /, $, %, ., E, e,

In addition, the general rules for inputting numbers are as follows:

1.If the number to be input is "positive", there will be no need for a "positive sign" before it.

2.If the number to be input is "negative", you will need to add the "negative sign" in front of it or parenthesise it to show that it is a "negative" number.

Input	Display Results (Default)
1.780	1.78
1.789%	1.79%
50e3	5.00E+04
4/5	4-5
0 4/5	4/5
$7.6	$7.60
-8.3	-8.3
-$8.3	-$8.3 (in red)

3.You can add a "comma" among the numeric digits to denote the thousand's place, e.g. 50,000.

The table below will show the examples:

To sum up, the following points should be borne in mind:

1. All input numbers will be displayed in alignment to the right of the cell.

2. When inputting a fraction in the format of a mixed number, you must input the whole part (e.g. you must input 0 4/5 for the fraction 4/5); otherwise, Excel will assume the number to be a date.

3. Excel will treat a number with a " ' " in front as text, which will be displayed in alignment to the left of the cell.

4. The contents of the "Display Results" column shown above are the default results of Excel. However, these formats can be adjusted and I will explain them to you some time in the future.

5. If a number is too long for the cell, the cell will show "###" instead. But you can adjust the column width to show the number completely.

After you have read this issue, don't you find that the procedures for inputting data in Excel, which seem to be very simple, actually involve a great deal of knowledge?

Next time, I will talk about the practical knowledge and techniques of inputting date, time and text.

"Sharing IT as it applies to your daily life."

(E-mail address: ITB_ForceByte_Editor@police.gov.hk)