Data Types and Formatting - Excel

Data Types

Excel supports several data types that you can enter into cells. Understanding these data types is crucial for performing accurate calculations and data analysis.

- Text (String) -

Any combination of letters, numbers, and symbols.
Excel treats text as a sequence of characters. For example, "Hello," "123 Main St," and "ABC123" are all text entries.
Text is left-aligned by default.

- Numbers -

Numeric values that can be used in calculations.
Numbers can include integers (e.g., 100), decimals (e.g., 100.75), and negative values (e.g., -50).
Numbers are right-aligned by default.

- Dates and Times -

Excel recognizes dates and times and can perform operations on them.
Dates can be entered in various formats, such as "01/01/2024" or "1-Jan-24."
Times can be entered as "12:00 PM" or "12:00:00."
Excel stores dates as serial numbers to facilitate calculations (e.g., January 1, 1900, is serial number 1).

- Boolean (Logical) -

Values that are either TRUE or FALSE.
Used in logical operations and functions like IF, AND, and OR.

- Errors -

Excel displays errors when it encounters problems with formulas or data.
Common errors include #DIV/0! (division by zero), #VALUE! (wrong type of argument), #N/A (value not available), and #REF! (invalid cell reference).

Formatting

Formatting in Excel enhances the readability and presentation of your data. You can format cells to display data in various styles and formats.

- Text Formatting -

Font: Change the font type, size, and color.
Bold, Italic, Underline: Apply text styles to emphasize data.
Alignment: Adjust text alignment (left, center, right) and vertical alignment (top, middle, bottom).
Text Wrap: Wrap text within a cell to display content on multiple lines.
Merge Cells: Combine multiple cells into one for centered headings or larger input areas.

- Number Formatting -

General: Default format; displays numbers as they are entered.
Number: Allows you to specify the number of decimal places, use commas for thousands separators, and display negative numbers.
Currency: Formats numbers as monetary values with a currency symbol (e.g., $, €, £) and specified decimal places.
Accounting: Similar to currency but aligns currency symbols and decimal points in a column.
Date: Displays dates in various formats (e.g., MM/DD/YYYY, DD-MMM-YY).
Time: Displays times in various formats (e.g., HH, AM/PM, HH:MM).
Percentage: Multiplies the cell value by 100 and displays it with a percent symbol (e.g., 0.75 becomes 75%).
Fraction: Displays numbers as fractions (e.g., 0.75 as 3/4).
Scientific: Displays numbers in exponential notation (e.g., 1.23E+03).

- Cell Formatting -

Borders: Add or customize cell borders to separate data visually.
Fill Color: Change the background color of cells to highlight data.
Conditional Formatting: Apply formatting based on specific criteria (e.g., highlight cells with values above a certain threshold, use color scales to show value ranges).

- Number Format Customization -

Custom Formats: Create your own number formats using a combination of symbols and text (e.g., "0.00" for two decimal places, "#,##0" for thousands separators).
Date and Time Custom Formats: Customize date and time formats using different combinations of day, month, and year (e.g., "DD/MM/YYYY" or "MMMM D, YYYY").

Applying Formatting

Ribbon Tools: Most formatting options can be accessed from the "Home" tab on the Ribbon.
Format Cells Dialog Box: Right-click a cell or range of cells and select "Format Cells" to open a dialog box with all formatting options.
Quick Access: Frequently used formatting options, like bold, italics, font size, and color, are available on the Quick Access Toolbar.