Excel Tutorial

Excel Format Menu

A click on the "Format" tab in the Menubar or pressing "Alt + o" keys will open the Format menu. By default Excel opens the menu with commonly used commands only. (All commands available under the menu can be viewed by a click on the double downward arrow circular tab at the bottom of the menu.) A small triangle against a command name indicates a sub-menu for the command. The commands listed under File Menu can be executed or the sub-menu can be opened by a click on its icon / tab or by pressing key for the underlined letter after opening the menu (or by pressing the keys listed on the right side of the command name). The commands listed under Format menu are :

Cells	A click on the 'Cells' tab will open the menu as shown in the image below:

	The number tab allows you to format the contents of the cell as
	General This is the default format of cells. Excel determines the format as text or number depending upon the contents of the cell.
	Number This format is used for the general display of numbers. You can specify the number of decimal places that you want to use, whether you want to use a thousands separator, and how you want to display negative numbers.
	Currency This format is used for general monetary values and displays the default currency symbol with numbers. You can specify the number of decimal places that you want to use, whether you want to use a thousands separator, and how you want to display negative numbers.
	Accounting This format is also used for monetary values, but it aligns the currency symbols and decimal points of numbers in a column.
	Date This format displays date and time serial numbers as date values, according to the type and locale (location) that you specify. You may select the format to display Date and Time from the list of formats available.
	Time This format displays date and time serial numbers as time values, according to the type and locale (location) that you specify.
	Percentage This format multiplies the cell value by 100 and displays the result with a percent symbol. You can specify the number of decimal places that you want to use.
	Fraction This format display a number as a fraction, according to the type of fraction that you specify.
	Scientific This format displays a number in exponential notation, replacing part of the number with E+n, where E (which stands for Exponent) multiplies the preceding number by 10 to the nthpower. For example, a 2-decimal Scientific format displays 12345678901 as 1.23E+10, which is 1.23 times 10 to the 10th power. You can specify the number of decimal places that you want to use.
	Text This format treats the content of a cell as text and displays the content exactly as you type it, even when numbers are typed.
	Special This format displays a number as a postal code (ZIP Code), phone number, or Social Security number.
	Custom This format allows you to modify a copy of an existing number format code. This creates a custom number format that is added to the list of number format codes. You can add between 200 and 250 custom number formats, depending on the language version of Excel that you have installed.
	A click on the Alignment tab enables you to Set direction of the content of cell as horizontal or vertical. Set indent for the contents of the cells. Set alignment of the text to the left, center or right and at top, middle or bottom in the cell. Wrap overflowing text in the cells or shrink the text to fit in the cell. Merge or demerge two or more cells. Set direction of content in the cell i.e. left to right or right to left. Set orientation ( angle ) of content of cells.
	A click on the Font tab enables you to Select font family for the cell contents. Select font size for the cell contents. To format the cell contents as bold, underlined or italic and also to format the contents as strikethrough, superscript or subscript.
	A click on the Border tab enables you to set Top, Right, Bottom, Left and diagonal borders of the selected cells.
	A click on the Patterns tab enables you to set the background color and pattern of cells.
	A click on the Protection tab enables you to Lock and / or hide the contents of cells. Please note that Lock or Hide will be effective only in protected worksheets. The Locking of acell(s) enables to restrict rights to access and or to modify the cell contents. The rights of other users to locked and unlocked cells in a worksheet can be set at the time of protecting the worksheet ( by choosing 'Protect Sheet' under "Tools" Menu ). The Hiding of a cell stops display of its contents or formula in the formula bar when the worksheet is protected.
Rows	Enables to adjust height and hide or unhide selected row(s).
Column	Enables to adjust width and hide or unhide selected column(s).
Sheet	Enable to rename, hide, unhide, change color of worksheet tab and to set an image or picture as background for the sheet
AutoFormat	Enables to format the selected cells as per various sample formats.
Style ..	Enables to set and save styles as per various formatting options stated under "Cells" above

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