Figure 1236 If you look quickly, the 1.5 appears smaller than 3.5.

Format the cells using Ctrl+1. Choose the Number tab and then the Custom category. Change the custom format code from 0.00E+00 to ##0.0E+00.Excel will now display the cells as you wish.

Figure 1237 Column E

FILL A CELL WITH ASTERISKS

Problem: I want to fill the blanks to the left of a number with asterisks like a check-printer would do.

Strategy: When you are entering a custom format, the asterisk symbol says to use the next character to fill the blanks in the cell. I realize this is really confusing, but using **0 tells Excel to use the second aster- isk to fill to the left of the number with asterisks. Using *+ tells Excel to fill with plus signs. An asterisk with any character will fill with that character. As the cell gets wider, the number of repeating characters increases.

The ** can go after or before the digits. Column B shows the number format used to achieve the look in column A.

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Figure 1238 Various repeating character formats.

I TYPE 152 AND GET 1.52

Problem: In my copy of Excel, I type 152 and Excel enters 1.52. What is going on?

Strategy: That sounds like a great problem to have? How did you do it?

There is a setting in Excel options to automatically insert a decimal point and a number of decimal places when you type a number. To access it, go to File, Options. Choose the Advanced category. The second setting in Advanced is Automatically Insert a Decimal Point. Choose that setting, and then select the number of decimal places.

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3.Open the Cell Styles menu and choose Merge.

4.In the Merge Styles dialog, choose to merge from the sample styles workbook. Excel will copy the styles to the new workbook.

This approach is admittedly a hassle because you would have to apply the styles to every workbook you ever create.

An easier approach is to save your styles in Book.xltx. See "Control Settings for Every New Workbook and Worksheet" on page 25.

MOVE COLUMNS BY SORTING LEFT TO RIGHT

Problem: My IT department produces a report every day, and the columns are in the wrong sequence. It would take them two minutes to rewrite the query, but they have a six-month backlog and don’t have time to get around to it. How can I rear- range the columns?

Figure 1245 The columns are not in a logical sequence.

Strategy: Youcansortthecolumnsleft- to-right. The quick way is to add a new row with column sequence numbers. If you really have to rearrange these every day, however, it would make sense to add a custom list with the proper sequence of the columns.

Follow these steps for the quick method: 1. Insert a new row above the head-

ings.

2. In the new row, enter the numbers 1 through n to specify the desired sequence for the columns.

If you want company name first, number that column 1, and so on.

3. Select the range of data to be sort- ed. Use Ctrl+* to select the cur- rent range. If you don’t explicitly select the whole range, the Sort

command tends to remove the Figure 1246 Steps 2, 3, 6, and 7 are all shown here. numbered row 1 from the sort.

4. Select Data, Sort.

5. Click the Options button at the top of the Sort dialog.

6. Choose Sort Left to Right under Orientation. Click OK to close the Sort Options dialog. 7. In the Sort By dropdown, choose Row 1.

8. Click OK to rearrange the columns.

9. Because the column widths do not sort with the data, select Home, Format dropdown, AutoFit Col- umn Width to fix all column widths. The columns are rearranged.

10.You can now delete the temporary row 1.

Alternate Strategy: If you defined a custom list of Company, Attn:, Address, Suite, City, State, Zip, you could skip the first two steps above. When defining the sort, you would specify Company, Attn:, Address as the sequence. For information on defining a custom sort sequence, see .