To access this command...

Choose Format - Cells - Numbers tab.

Choose View - Styles (F11) - open context menu and choose Modify/New - Numbers tab.

Open context menu for a column header in an open database table - choose Column Format - Format tab.

Choose Table - Number Format (for tables).

Choose Insert - Field - More Fields - Variables tab and select Additional formats in the Format list (for variables).

Choose Format - Axis - Y Axis - Numbers tab (chart documents).

Category

Select a category from the list, and then select a formatting style in the Format box.

Format

Select how you want the contents of the selected cell(s) field to be displayed. The code for the selected option is displayed in the Format code box.

Currency category list boxes

Select a currency, and then scroll to the top of the Format list to view the formatting options for the currency.

The format code for currencies uses the form [$xxx-nnn], where xxx is the currency symbol, and nnn the country code. Special banking symbols, such as EUR (for euro), do not require the country code. The currency format is not dependent on the language that you select in the Language box.

Language

Specifies the language setting for the selected fields. With the language set to Default, Office automatically applies the number formats associated with the system default language. Specifies the language setting for the selected cells. Specifies the language setting for the selected field.

The language setting ensures that date and currency formats, as well as decimal and thousands separators, are preserved even when the document is opened in an operating system that uses a different default language setting.

Options

Specify the options for the selected format.

Decimal places

Enter the number of decimal places that you want to display.

Denominator places

With fraction format, enter the number of places for the denominator that you want to display.

Leading zeros

Enter the maximum number of zeros to display in front of the decimal point.

Negative numbers red

Changes the font colour of negative numbers to red.

Thousands separator

Inserts a separator between thousands. The type of separator that is used depends on your language settings.

Engineering notation

With scientific format, Engineering notation ensures that exponent is a multiple of 3.

Format code

Displays the number format code for the selected format. You can also enter a custom format. The following options are only available for user-defined number formats.

Add

Adds the number format code that you entered to the user-defined category.

Edit Comment

Adds a comment to the selected number format.

Delete

Deletes the selected number format. The changes are effective after you restart Office.

Name line

Enter a comment for the selected number format, and then click outside this box.

Preview Field

Displays a preview of the current selection.

Related Topics

• Number format codes