Take Control of Numbers

Cell Formats

“Format” is a nebulous word when it comes to spreadsheet cells because it can refer to many different things. Formatting defines the look of a cell: its background fill, borders, and text attributes such as font and color. Formatting also describes how the data itself should look—whether there are dollar signs on the numbers, for instance.

In this chapter, I cover the details of basic cell formats—background fills and borders—and demystify the puzzling interaction between Cell Borders and Grid Lines. I also explain one of my (and soon to be your) favorite features: Conditional Highlighting, where a cell’s formatting changes based on its content.

Note: Assisting data input while limiting what can be entered is another kind of cell ...