The Options dialogue box gives the format in which the value of number cells will normally be displayed. This is called the default format. You can override this default setting for a single cell or for a marked block of cells.
Numbers can be displayed:
The default format for numbers is set by the corresponding option in the Options dialogue box.
All cells in the document are displayed in the default format unless their format is specifically altered. Once a cell format is altered from the default format, its format is fixed, and will not change if the default format is altered. A cell or marked block can be restored to the default format by giving the Default Format command:
Menu | Command | Ctrl-sequence | Key |
---|---|---|---|
Layout | Default format | LDF |
The Decimal places option in the Options dialogue box determines the default setting. This can be set to any value from 0 to 9 or to F for floating format.
To change the number of decimal places displayed for a single cell or marked block, give the Decimal Places command:
Menu | Command | Ctrl-sequence | Key |
---|---|---|---|
Layout | Decimal Places | LDP |
A dialogue box appears where you can specify the number or F.
The result of displaying 12345.67890 in different formats with a column width of 12 in a monospace font is shown below:
0 | 12346 |
2 | 12345.68 |
5 | 12345.67890 |
6 | 1.234568E4 |
F | 12345.6789 |
Note that the number format affects only the display of numbers and not the
accuracy of the numbers when used in calculations. If you want to round a
number before calculating with it, use the ROUND function to round it to a
specified number of decimal places. For example, typing
ROUND(12.256,2)
returns 12.26. The number has been rounded to two
decimal places. A negative decimal place value indicates that the number should
be rounded to the left of the decimal point so ROUND(12.256,-1)
returns 10.
The Negative numbers option in the Options dialogue box determines the default setting; click Select on Minus for a minus sign or on Brackets for brackets.
To change a single cell or a marked block of cells, give the Sign Brackets or Sign Minus command:
Menu | Command | Ctrl-sequence | Key |
---|---|---|---|
Layout | Sign brackets | LSB | |
Sign minus | LSM |
The result of displaying -12345.67890 in each format is shown below:
Minus | -12345.68 |
Brackets | (12345.68) |
The Thousands separator option in the Options dialogue box is a default setting; use the arrow icons to set it to a comma, a full stop, space or nothing.
The result of displaying the same number in each format is as follows:
, | 1,234,567.89 |
. | 1.234.567,89 (the decimal point becomes a comma) |
space | 1 234 567.89 |
none | 1234567.89 |
The Options dialogue box enables you to define characters to be displayed in front of or after the results of number cells.
For example, you could display £K
in front of your financial
totals or hrs
after times.
You can specify a string of up to four leading characters and a string of up to four trailing characters, for each document.
A string of up to four leading characters can be set up in the Options dialogue box for a document. Likewise a second string of up to four trailing characters can be set up.
For example, to set up the leading characters £K, and the trailing characters hrs, alter the Options dialogue box settings to read:
Leading characters | £K |
Trailing characters | hrs |
You can include highlights in the leading characters or trailing characters string but these will only be displayed when using system font on the screen and only printed when using PipeDream printer drivers. Use the ^ character followed by the number of the highlight you require.
For example, ^I
will underline the string.
Spaces can be included to improve the final appearance.
1. Position the caret in the cell to be altered or mark a block of cells to be altered.
2. Give the Leading Characters or Trailing Characters command:
Menu | Command | Ctrl-sequence | Key |
---|---|---|---|
Layout | Leading characters | LCL | |
Trailing characters | LCT |
Note that the leading and trailing character strings are not stored in the cells; if you change the strings defined in the Options dialogue box, all cells with leading and trailing characters 'turned on' will take on the strings defined in the Options dialogue box for that document.
You can fix the current value of a numeric cell (or block of numeric cells) so that it does not change on subsequent calculations.
To do this, mark the block of cells and give the Snapshot command:
Menu | Command | Ctrl-sequence | Key |
---|---|---|---|
Blocks | Snapshot | BSS |
Note that cells on which the Snapshot command has been performed contain only values, not formulae.
You can convert text cells into number cells and vice versa with the Number <> Text command. One application of this is to convert text cells containing numbers into numeric cells so that you can do calculations with them.
Menu | Command | Ctrl-sequence | Key |
---|---|---|---|
Blocks | Number <> Text | BNT |
Both of these commands work on a marked block of cells, if there is one; otherwise on the current cell.
If your number formats are too wide to fit into the current column width, PipeDream first tries to display the numbers in scientific E notation. If they are still too long, PipeDream displays % signs in the cells. To solve this problem, you need to change the column widths. You can do this by dragging the column borders. Alternatively, you can give the Auto Width command (Ctrl-LAW) which automatically adjusts the column widths so that everything fits neatly. Auto Width operates on a marked block or on the current column if there is no marked block.
For information on | See |
---|---|
Displaying negative numbers in red | Colours |