This article explains how to format text and numbers in spreadsheet cells.
Specifying a default font and font size
You can specify a default font and font size for data in a spreadsheet document or frame. Specifying a default affects the formatting of existing cells.
To set default font characteristics:
Choose Default Font from the Options menu.
Specify a font and font size.
Formatting text and numbers in cells
To change the appearance of text and numbers in cells:
Select the cells you want to change.
Choose Font, Size, Style, or Text Color from the Format menu, then make your choice from the submenu.
Making overflow text appear within a cell
When a cell's contents are longer than the cell width can accommodate, the overflow text appears in the next cell to the right (if that cell is empty) or is hidden (if that cell contains data). To have AppleWorks wrap the overflow text to another line, turn on word wrap.
To turn on word wrap:
Select the cells in which you want text to wrap.
Choose Alignment from the Format menu, then choose Wrap from the submenu.
Note: A long entry might wrap below the border of the cell. To view the entire entry, resize the row.
Specifying formats for numbers, dates, or times
To specify formats for numbers, dates, or times:
Select the cells you want to format.
Choose Number from the Format menu.
Tip: For a single cell, double-click the cell.
Click Number, Date, or Time, then choose a format from the pop-up menu. For an explanation of the number formats, see the table below.
Note: The way AppleWorks displays dates and times is also determined by settings in the Date & Time control panel (in the Apple menu).
If you selected a number format, choose any additional options you want:
·To use separators in numbers greater than 999, click Show Separators for Thousands.
·To show negative numbers in parentheses rather than with a minus sign, click Show Negatives in Parentheses.
·To change the decimal precision (the number of digits that appear to the right of a decimal separator), type a new value. (The precision setting has no effect on numbers displayed in the General format.)
Note: The precision you specify affects only how many decimal digits are displayed. AppleWorks can display as many as 11 significant digits.
Note: If a number is too long to fit in a cell, AppleWorks first attempts to display it in scientific notation. If it still won't fit, AppleWorks displays a string of number signs (#). AppleWorks also displays number signs if a date or time is too long to fit in a cell. To see the data, resize the column.
The following table explains the numeric formats and shows how the number 43.666600 is displayed in each format, assuming a precision setting of 2.
Numeric format Description
General (43.6666) Displays up to 11 digits of the number as typed. Drops
trailing zeros to the right of the decimal point and rounds
numbers with more than 11 digits. Numbers with more than 11
digits to the left of the decimal point are displayed in
scientific format.
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Currency ($43.67) Inserts the currency symbol specified in the Numbers control panel (in the Apple menu).
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Percent (4366.66%) Multiplies the number by 100 and inserts the percent symbol. (The number 5 is displayed as 500%, and the number .05 as 5%.)
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Scientific (4.36e+1) Displays numbers as an exponential power of ten. (The number 1,000,000 is displayed as 1.00e+6, or 1.00 multiplied by 10 to the sixth power.)
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Fixed (43.67) Rounds numeric entries to a fixed number of decimal points.
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This document contains information from Help Center, the help system included with your computer.