Article ID: 105411
Article Last Modified on 8/15/2003
APPLIES TO
- Microsoft Excel 97 Standard Edition
- Microsoft Excel 98 for Macintosh
This article was previously published under Q105411
SUMMARY
In Microsoft Excel, the AutoFormat command will not change the number format of selected cells unless you choose an Accounting or Financial built-in format.
MORE INFORMATION
While most of the built-in formats change attributes such as cell shading, borders, and fonts, some built-in formats change the number format. The built-in formats that change number formats are the three financial formats (Microsoft Excel version 4.0) and the accounting formats (Microsoft Excel versions 5.0 and 7.0).
This behavior is by design.
The AutoFormat tool in Microsoft Excel provides a fast and efficient way to apply built-in formats. Using AutoFormat can make your worksheet more readable and more professional looking by changing the alignments, borders, fonts, patterns, and shading of selected cells.
Steps to Reproduce Problem
In a new worksheet, enter the following values:
A1: Widget Sales B1: Southeast C1: Midwest D1: Pacific A2: Type A B2: 200 C2: 50 D2: 350 A3: Type B B3: 300 C3: 400 D3: 0 A4: Type C B4: 150 C4: 200 D4: 175 A5: TOTALS B5: =SUM(B2:B4) C5: =SUM(C2:C4) D5: =SUM(D2:D4)
- Select cells A1:D5.
- On the Format menu, click AutoFormat.
- In the list of formats, select Accounting 1 (versions 5.0 and later) or Financial 1 (version 4.0). Then, click OK.
NOTE: The change in number formats of the cells in rows 2 and 5. - On the Format menu, again click AutoFormat.
- In the list of formats, select Classic 2. Click OK.
The numbers in rows 2 and 5 are still in the currency format.
REFERENCES
"User's Guide," version 5.0, pages 224-225
"User's Guide 1," version 4.0, pages 246-249
Additional query words: 4.00a 7.00a 97 98 XL98 XL97 XL7 XL5 XL4 XL
Keywords: kbinfo KB105411