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Negative figures in brackets

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cathy reynolds

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Jul 16, 2002, 3:16:02 AM7/16/02
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Can't believe this is not obvious. Although Excel treats
figures typed between brackets as negative when
calculating a formula, if the RESULT is negative I can't
get it to appear in brackets.

Have tried changing the number format (no option for
negative figures in brackets) and also the Number options
on Regional Settings, Control Panel. The latter does let
me select negative figures in brackets, but appears to
have no effect on the spreadsheet (even after rebooting!)

Can someone help please?

Thanks

David McRitchie

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Jul 16, 2002, 5:01:30 AM7/16/02
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I don't think the UK is one of the countries for which Excel
doesn't offer negative number formatting in parensthesis
under accounting. You can enter the following under
custom format.
Format, cells, custom
_(* #,##0.00_);_(* (#,##0.00);_(* "-"??_);_(@_)
if you can't get it under
Format, cells, accounting, (2 places, no symbol)

It would be best to have something like -500,000.00
in the activecell when you set up formatting as you will
be able to see it formatted in you are in custom.

Incidentally if you have a formatting close to what you
want you can modify it by reselecting cell and
looking/modifying it under custom.

see some examples in
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/formula.htm

HTH,
David McRitchie, Microsoft MVP - Excel [site changed Nov. 2001]
My Excel Macros: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/excel.htm
Search Page: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/search.htm

"cathy reynolds" <cgrey...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message news:1626a01c22c98$a46aa9a0$a5e62ecf@tkmsftngxa07...

Jim Rech

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Jul 16, 2002, 6:51:23 AM7/16/02
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>>also the Number options on Regional Settings, Control Panel. The latter
does let me select negative figures in brackets

Curiously enough you have to make this change on the currency tab in Control
Panel. After doing so the option to have negatives in parens will appear in
Format, Cells, Number, Number, Negative numbers list box. You can always
use a custom number format to get there too but I know it is convenient to
pick this format from a list.


--
Jim Rech
Excel MVP


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