Negative Number Display -- need Brackets

  • Thread starter Thread starter Rinke Gill
  • Start date Start date
R

Rinke Gill

I would like my negative numbers in Excel to display in brackets. This is
what the "accounting" category under "format cells" allowed us to do in the
2003 version. I cannot find a way to do this under any of the category
options in "format cells". It is driving me nuts, please help if anyone knows!

If there is no such option, please update excel 2007 to include this. It is
very important to have this function for us accountants!
 
Go to Format Cells, Choose Custom option and enter #,##0_);[Red]\[#,##0\]

This will show negative numbers in RED and within []. Delete [RED] if you
don't want that.

To display [ you have to add it as \[...
 
If you want the ()'s to show up for negative numbers in the format|cells|number
tab, you'll have to change a windows setting.

Windows start button|control panel
regional and language options
regional options tab
click the customize button
currency tab
change the negative currency format to show ()'s.
 
Out on a limb here but IIRC in the 2003 version if you installed XL using
Canada as your location you did not get brackets. I guess they thought us
Canadian accountants didn't use Brackets. The US version has brackets so the
standard fix was to change your location to US... Not sure if that applies to
you or if it has been changed in 2007...
 
Either use the shortcut Ctrl + 1 (not 1 on the numpad) and select
accounting, or click the general drop down on the home tab and select
accounting, or right click the cell(s) and select format cells and select
accounting or use a custom format
_($* #,##0.00_);_($* (#,##0.00);_($* "-"??_);_(@_)

I personally dislike 2007 but formatting is certainly not changed or hidden

--


Regards,


Peo Sjoblom
 
General interest... Is that a global change which changes all of the default
number formats or does it only affect the accounting format...
 
It affects currency, too.

I've never seen it affect any custom number format.

Jim said:
General interest... Is that a global change which changes all of the default
number formats or does it only affect the accounting format...
Click to expand...
 
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