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While Excel files can accept both text and numbers in the cells, most equations, calculations, and formulas that the program runs need numerical values to function properly and give you a result. As such, it is an important skill to learn to be able to convert text to numbers in Excel to function at its best.
The following methods will give you plenty of options for converting these values.
Changing The Cell Formats Of Excel
This is probably the easiest method for converting text data in your cells into numbers.
Step
Go To Home Tab
To change the format of your cells, go to the ‘Home’ tab of your excel worksheet, and then go to the numbers section of the page.
In this section, there is a drop-down box that you can click to specify the values in your spreadsheet.
Click on the drop-down box, and select ‘Number’.
Step
Right-Click On The Cells
Right-click on the cells, and select the ‘Format cells’ option on the menu that appears.
From here, you can also change the values of the spreadsheets. To change them from text to numbers, select the ‘Number’ option that appears.
Use The Warning Symbol In Your Spreadsheet.
This is a very useful option if your spreadsheet naturally finds a text value in the spreadsheet where there would otherwise be a numerical value.
Step
Value Must Show A Warning Symbol
To use this method, the value must show a ‘warning’ symbol over the value.
If you do see the symbol, select it to show the drop-down menu of options.
Step
Select ‘Convert To Numbers’
Of these options, select the ‘convert to numbers’ option.
This will correctly format the information in the cell, and get rid of the warning symbol as well.
Use Text To Columns
Using ‘Text to Columns’ is a feature that is normally used when trying to split a selected amount of data into separate columns. However, it can also be used to turn text information into a format that Excel can use.
Step
Select The Text To Columns
On the ‘Data’ tab of Excel, select the ‘Text to Columns’ option in the ‘Data tools’ section.
Step
Delimited Option
Once you have selected this, the feature will then give you the option to delimiter characters that you have selected to split that data in your spreadsheet. For our purposes, simply keep the ‘delimited’ option selected.
Once you have done this, you will now have the option to select a format that you would have otherwise converted the separated columns into a single format. The latter function also works as a text-to-number formatter in our case.
Converting Text To Numbers Format By Multiplying It.
Number text values can still be read and used by Excel in formulas. This process can help us to convert the text format into a numerical one.
Step
Select A Cell
On a cell that you want to convert, simply select it and multiply the value of the selected cell by 1.
The process will then convert the cell’s contents into a numbered format.
And because you only multiplied the cell by one, the value of its contents has stayed the same.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are many options available for you to use when it comes to converting text to numbers in Excel. Choose the one which best suits you, and you’ll never have to wonder how to do it again.
