Currency Style Toolbar Button Applies Accounting Number Format

 Last reviewed: February 2, 1998
Article ID: Q151442
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition
  • Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
  • Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 5.0, 5.0a

SYMPTOMS

When you click the Currency Style toolbar button, the first Accounting number format is applied to the cell. This behavior is not as expected; you may expect the Currency number format to be applied to the cell.

CAUSE

When you click the Currency Style toolbar button, the predefined cell style called Currency is applied to the cell. By default, the Currency style has only the Accounting number format defined. Therefore, when you click the Currency Style toolbar button, this number format is applied to the cell.

WORKAROUND

If you want to change the number format that is applied to the cell when you click the Currency Style toolbar button, you must change the formatting options set for the Currency style. For example, to have the Currency Style toolbar button apply the Currency number format $#,##0.00_);($#,##0.00) follow these steps:

  1. On the Format menu, click Style.

  2. In the Style Name list, click Currency.

  3. Click Modify.

  4. On the Number tab of the Format Cells dialog box, click Currency for the category, and then click OK.

  5. Click OK.

When you click on the Currency Style toolbar button, the first number format of the Currency category will be applied to the cell.

STATUS

This behavior is by design of the versions of Microsoft Excel listed at the beginning of this article.

MORE INFORMATION

By default, both the Currency Style and Comma Style toolbar buttons apply accounting number formats. For example, if you enter the number 1234.56 into an unformatted cell, and then widen the column so that it is much wider than necessary to fit this number, you will get results similar to the following (based upon the toolbar button that you click). 

   Toolbar button          Result
   ------------------------------------

   Currency Style          $   1,234.56
   Comma Style                 1,234.56
Note that the accounting number format applied by both of these toolbar buttons will pad the cell with enough spaces to fill the column width. These spaces will not be readily seen under most circumstances, especially with the accounting number format applied by the Comma Style. But, if you apply an underline to the cell, the underline will run the full width of the column, even though the number you have may only go part of the way across the cell. Therefore, if you apply a single underline to the cells in the above table, your results will be similar to the following. 

   Toolbar button          Result
   ------------------------------------

   Currency Style          $   1,234.56
   Comma Style             ____1,234.56
REFERENCES

Microsoft Excel 7.0

For more information about the Currency style in Microsoft Excel, click Answer Wizard on the Help menu and type: 

   tell me how to change the Currency style

Microsoft Excel 5.0

"Microsoft Excel User's Guide," version 5.0, Chapter 12, "Formatting a Worksheet"

For more information about the Currency style in Microsoft Excel, click the Search button in Help and type: 

   currency style

Additional query words: 5.00 5.00a 5.00c 7.00 8.00 97 98 XL98 XL97 XL7 XL5
Keywords : xlformat
Version : WINDOWS:5.0,5.0c,7.0,97; MACINTOSH:5.0,5.0a,98
Platform : MACINTOSH WINDOWS
Issue type : kbprb
Solution Type : kbworkaround

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Last reviewed: February 2, 1998
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