Excel can't do hex - alternative?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Matthew Twomey
  • Start date Start date
M

Matthew Twomey

I would like to be able to define a group of cells as (hex, oct, or
bin). The effect would be that when I input numbers, or the cell
displays numbers they would be in the chosen format.

For example:

I set up cell A1 as a hex "type" cell. I set up cell B1 as a decimal
"type" cell. In cell B1 I put the simple formula (=A1). Now I enter
"ff" into A1 and "255" pops up in B1.

I understand that there are hex2dec, dec2hex, bin2dec, ...etc
formulas. These, however, aren't much help when you are trying to work
with a different base across the whole spreadsheet or a large portion
of it.

Basically the intent is to work IN hex or binary so that calculations,
formulas, and values can all be in hex.

I don't think Excel can do this, is there any other spreadsheet
software out there that can?

Thanks,

-Matt
 
Matthew,

I'm not sure what your ultimate objective is, but here's something that may
help. Almost all computers, even those thought to be "hex" computers (IBM
mainframes among others) aren't hex machines at all. They're binary. The
hex is just a convenient way of representing numbers that's easier than a
long binary number. D35F is a lot easier to write down than
1101001101011111.

Excel stores numbers in an IEEE-defined 8-byte floating-point format. The
decimal we type in gets converted to that binary format when the number is
stored in a cell (and precision lost if there isn't an exact representation
out to about 15 decimal digits). Excel math is done in that binary format.
The results get converted back to decimal digits for our use.
 
Earl Kiosterud said:
Matthew,

I'm not sure what your ultimate objective is, but here's something that may
help. Almost all computers, even those thought to be "hex" computers (IBM
mainframes among others) aren't hex machines at all. They're binary. The
hex is just a convenient way of representing numbers that's easier than a
long binary number. D35F is a lot easier to write down than
1101001101011111.

Excel stores numbers in an IEEE-defined 8-byte floating-point format. The
decimal we type in gets converted to that binary format when the number is
stored in a cell (and precision lost if there isn't an exact representation
out to about 15 decimal digits). Excel math is done in that binary format.
The results get converted back to decimal digits for our use.
Click to expand...


Thanks, I do understand this. What I am looking for in a spreadsheet
application in which I can choose, for a group of cells, which
(visual) representation is used - binary, hexadecimal, octal, decimal,
....etc.

I want this, because I do a lot of electronics and microcontroller
hobby work. I often use spreadsheets to calculate things for my
projects. It would be very helpful to me to be able to do these
calculations in another base (without having to constantly convert
back to decimal - as Excel makes me do).

Has anyone ever seen a spreadsheet application which can do this?

Thanks,

-Matt
 
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