Many Excel users when trying to put a dashboard on a sheet, there are considerable difficulties. The fact is that the program understands a dash, as a minus sign, and immediately converts the values in the cell in the formula. Therefore, this question is rather pressing. Let's figure it out how to put a dash in Excel.
Digger in Exole
Often, when filling out various documents, reports, the declarations must be specified that the cell corresponding to a particular indicator does not contain values. For these purposes, it is customary to use dashing. For the Excel program, this feature, it exists, but to embody it for an unprepared user is quite problematic, as a downer is immediately transformed into a formula. To avoid this transformation, you need to perform certain actions.
Method 1: Range Formatting
The most famous way to put a dummy in the cell is to assign it a text format. True, this option does not always help.
- We highlight the cell in which you need to put a dashboard. Click on it right mouse button. In the context menu that appears, select the Cell Format item. You can press the CTRL + 1 keyboard in the keyboard instead of these actions.
- The formatting window is started. Go to the "Number" tab if it was open in another tab. In the "Numeric formats" parameters, select the "Text" item. Click on the "OK" button.
After this, the selected cell will be assigned a text format property. All values entered into it will not be perceived as objects for computing, but as a simple text. Now in this area, you can enter the symbol "-" from the keyboard and it will be displayed precisely as a downer, and will not be perceived by the program as the "minus" sign.
There is another option to reformat the cell in a text form. To do this, while in the Home tab, you need to click on the drop-down list of data formats, which is located on the tape in the "Number" toolbar. A list of available formatting types is opened. In this list you just need to select the "Text" item.
Lesson: How to change cell format in Excel
Method 2: Pressing the ENTER button
But this method is not working in all cases. Often, even after carrying out this procedure, when you enter the "-" symbol, all the same links to other ranges appear instead of the desired sign. In addition, it is not always convenient, especially if in the table of cells with dumplers alternate with cells filled with data. First, in this case you will have to format each one individually, secondly, the cells of this table will have a different format, which is also not always acceptable. But you can do differently.
- We highlight the cell in which you need to put a dashboard. Click on the button "Align in the center", which is on the tape in the Home tab in the Alignment Toolbar. And also click on the button "Align in the middle", located in the same block. It is necessary in order for the ditch to be located exactly in the center of the cell, as it should be, and not on the left.
- We recruit the "-" symbol in the cell. After that, do not make any movements with the mouse, and immediately press the ENTER button to go to the next line. If, instead, the user clicks on the mouse, then in the cell, where the battle should stand, the formula will appear again.
This method is good for its simplicity and what works for any formatting. But, at the same time, using it, it is necessary to take care of editing the contents of the cell, since because of one wrong action, the formula may again be displayed instead of the fiber.
Method 3: Inserting the Symbol
Another version of writing a fiber to Excel is the insertion of the symbol.
- We highlight the cell where you need to insert a duct. Go to the "Insert" tab. On the tape in the "Symbols" tool block by clicking on the "Symbol" button.
- Being in the "Symbols" tab, set the parameter "Symbols of the frames" in the field window "Set". In the central part of the window we are looking for a sign "─" and highlight it. Then click on the "Paste" button.
After that, the battlefield will reflect in the selected cell.
There is another option within this method. Being in the "Symbol" window, go to the "Special Signs" tab. In the list that opens, allocate the item "Long dash". Click on the "Paste" button. The result will be the same as in the previous version.
This method is good because it will not be necessary to fear made by the wrong movement of the mouse. The symbol will not change anyway on the formula. In addition, visually, the battery delivered by this method looks better than a short character scored from the keyboard. The main disadvantage of this option is the need to perform several manipulations at once, which entails temporary losses.
Method 4: Adding an additional symbol
In addition, there is another way to put a ditch. True, visually this option is not acceptable for all users, as it assumes the presence in the cell, except for the sign "-", another symbol.
- We highlight the cell in which you need to install a dashboard, and set the "'" character from the keyboard. It is located on the same button as the letter "E" in the Cyrillic layout. Then immediately without a space set the symbol "-".
- Click on the ENTER button or highlight the cursor using the mouse any other cell. When using this method, this is not fundamentally important. As you can see, after these actions, a dock was installed on the sheet, and the additional character "'" is noticeable only in the line of formulas during the selection of the cell.
There are a number of ways to install in the battery, the choice between which the user can do according to the use of a specific document. Most people at the first unsuccessful attempt to put the desired symbol are trying to change the format of the cells. Unfortunately, this is not always triggered. Fortunately, there are other options for performing this task: the transition to another string using the Enter button, the use of characters through the tape button, the use of an additional sign "'". Each of these methods has its advantages and disadvantages that were described above. The universal version, which would be maximally suitable for the installation of docking in Excele in all possible situations, does not exist.