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Custom Number Formats Tutorial

This document provides a tutorial on using custom number formats in Excel. It outlines different formatting techniques that can be applied to financial models, including displaying numbers with commas as thousands separators, setting the number of decimal places, combining text and numbers, and displaying values as percentages or as "Yes" and "No". Examples are given for various custom number formats along with the required format code. The tutorial also mentions some advanced formatting options and concludes by providing information on Navigator Project Finance and their training courses.

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Kwaazi
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
363 views

Custom Number Formats Tutorial

This document provides a tutorial on using custom number formats in Excel. It outlines different formatting techniques that can be applied to financial models, including displaying numbers with commas as thousands separators, setting the number of decimal places, combining text and numbers, and displaying values as percentages or as "Yes" and "No". Examples are given for various custom number formats along with the required format code. The tutorial also mentions some advanced formatting options and concludes by providing information on Navigator Project Finance and their training courses.

Uploaded by

Kwaazi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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FREE

TUTORIAL

www.navigatorPF.com

CUSTOM NUMBER FORMAT CUSTOM NUMBER FORMAT CUSTOM NUMBER FORMAT CUSTOM NUMBER FORMATS SS S
Introduction: Number Formats in Excel
Clear presentation of numerical and logical information in
Excel is fundamental when you want to improve usability of
your financial models. This Tutorial outlines different key
techniques which can be quickly applied to any project
finance model, and is recommended for Excel users at all
levels.
Excel often formats numbers as it sees fit, for example, if the user
types in 10%, Excel will automatically format this cell as a
percentage and any future values entered into this cell will be
formatted similarly. To custom format a cell click on the target cell
then go to Format Cells (the shortcut is Ctrl+1). The Format
Cells window should look like this:


How to Set Custom Number Formats
To set custom formats click on Custom in the Category.

The custom format is entered under Type. Excel allows for four
(4) format sections:

Each section needs to be separated by a semi colon ;. 0
represents where the numbers should appear, for example to
display 2 d.p. 0.00 is used and for no d.p. 0 will suffice.
To use commas as separators 0,000 is required. Only the
Positive section is mandatory by Excel. By omitting all of the other
sections Excel will assume the positive format. If however the
user wishes to customize the zero section, all sections prior, i.e.
Positive and Negative sections must be specified or empty cells
will be displayed for the value corresponding to the omitted
section.
If you would like to learn more about number formatting
and introduction to project finance modelling in an
interactive applied workshop environment, then I
recommend that you find out about the next Project
Financial Modelling (A) course in your region.
Nick Crawley, Managing Director
Navigator Project Finance
0.00 ; (0.00) ; 0.00 ; Text @
(Positive) (Negative) (Zero) (Text)

About Navigator Project Finance
Founded in 2004, Navigator Project Finance Pty Ltd (Navigator) is the project finance modelling expert. Headquartered
in Sydney, Australia, Navigator is raising the global benchmark in financial modelling services to the project finance
sector. Navigator designs and constructs financial models for complex project financings, offers training courses
throughout the Middle East, Asia and Europe, and conducts independent model reviews of project finance transaction
models. Navigator delivers fast, flexible and rigorously-tested project finance services that provide unparalleled
transparency and ease of use.
Customers include market leaders such as Deutsche Bank, ANZ Investment Bank, Bovis Lend Lease, Oxiana, Mirvac
Property, Westpac and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, together with leaders from the finance, mining, property,
utilities, banking, chemical and infrastructure sectors.
Navigator Project Finance Pty Ltd P +61 2 9229 7400 E [email protected]
www.navigatorPF.com
Examples
Comma with 2 Decimal Places
Type is written as: 0,000.00; (0,000.00);
The format represents 2 d.p. for positive values with comma
separators (0,000.00), 2 d.p. enclosed in brackets for negative
numbers with comma separators ((0.00)) and zero displayed as
a dash (-)
Comma with No Decimal Places
Type is written as: 0,000; (0,000); -
Here the format is quite similar to 2 d.p. but with .00 removed to
represent zero d.p.
Combining Text and Numbers
Type is written as: For Op Qtr 1 Op Qtr 0, and for 5.25 yrs
0.00 yrs
To combine text and number the text portion must be enclosed by
double apostrophes. Negative, Zero and Text sections are
omitted.
Ratios
Type is written as: 0.00x
This is another example of combining text and number however in
this case there is no space between 0.00 and x as x should
follow immediately after the number.

Percentages with 0% Displayed as -
Type is written as: 0%; -0%; -
Since the zero section is customised, both Positive and Negative
sections must be specified as well.
Displaying 1 and 0 as Yes and No
Type is written as: Yes; ; No
Because 1 is a positive number only the Positive and Zero
sections need be defined. Any positive number will return Yes
but if a negative value is entered the cell will remain empty as the
Negative section is undefined.
To demonstrate the custom number formats in the above
examples, we have put in a sample workbook. To view the
number formats in certain cell, click on the cell then go to Format
Cells Number Custom.
The format cells in the above examples are as illustrated in the
screenshot below.



Advanced Custom Number Formatting
If you want to explore more advanced features of the custom
formatting in Excel, look into the following features
Use the Wing Dings font to interpret symbols vw =
Use Custom formatting to add another dimension of
conditional formatting
Customise your Styles for the key formats e.g. Ratios
This is a Free Tutorial from Navigator Project Finance. If
you have any feedback or suggestions for future
developments we would like to hear from you!
The team at Navigator Project Finance
www.navigatorpf.com/training/tutorials
Navigators courses are presented in the following cities
Sydney
Perth
London
New York
Frankfurt
Hong Kong
Singapore
Dubai
Public Courses by Navigator Project Finance
Project Finance Modelling (A)
Project Finance Modelling (B)
Debt Modelling Masterclass
VBA for Financiers

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