Understanding TEXT Function: Effective Usage in Excel

The TEXT function is a frequently used feature in Excel, designed to convert numerical values into specific text strings with formatting. To delve deeper into the formula and efficient utilization of the TEXT function in Excel, follow this article from Mytour.

What is the TEXT Function?

The TEXT function is widely employed to transform numbers into text with specific formatting. Using the TEXT function makes numerical values more readable and user-friendly. Additionally, it is utilized to combine numerical values with text or symbols.

Formula for Using the TEXT Function

When using the TEXT function in Excel, users rely on the syntax as follows:

TEXT(value, format_text)

Value: The numerical values you want to convert into text or specific characters.

format_text: This is a string of text along with the formatting you want to apply to the value. The format code is enclosed in double quotation marks.

Considerations when using the TEXT function

Using the TEXT function to convert numbers into text can complicate performing calculations in Excel. This is because the result of the TEXT function is always a text string, even though it may resemble a numerical value.

It's advisable for users to keep the original value in one cell in Excel before applying the TEXT function to another cell. This allows you to reference the original value anytime, preventing potential confusion that could impact the results.

Some types of format codes for the TEXT function

Examples of using the TEXT function

Linking text and numbers (dates) with custom formatting

To create a summary or report, beyond performing operations like summing, percentage calculations, and similar figures, users also need to explain the main significance of these values. To achieve this, users should use the Concatenate function to input text and numbers combined with the TEXT function to format numbers (or dates) as desired.

Adding number formatting within a text string

Aiming to calculate the total amount to be paid with the following data:

To achieve the result, follow these steps:

Total = Unit Price * Quantity * % (subtract % discount)

If you perform the normal calculation, simply input =A2*B2*(1-C2). Excel will automatically compute and provide the result as 156.8.

But a mere number doesn't convey much. You need units, formatting, or annotations for easy comprehension.

For a clearer view, just insert some annotations like 'Total:' before the price item. To make the amount vivid, you can insert symbols such as $ or thousands separators and decimal places.

You can use the TEXT function in one of two ways:

Method 1: Concatenate a text string with symbols using the TEXT function.

='Total: '&TEXT(A2*B2*(1-C2),'$###,###.00')

Method 2: Use CONCATENATE function combined with TEXT function to concatenate character strings.

Perform the following steps:

=CONCATENATE (text1, text2,…).

Where text1 and text2 are text strings, values within the formula, or cell references.

To execute the example above, you need to proceed as follows:

=CONCATENATE('Total: ',TEXT(A2*B2*(1-C2),'$###,###.00'))

Linking text with date

Suppose you have data and want to add the note 'Date of data initialization:' with date values displayed as Day, Month, Year (Example: 16/06/2022).

To achieve this, you simply incorporate the TODAY function into the TEXT formula specifying the format 'dd/mm/yyyy'. There are two approaches:

Approach 1: Utilize predefined symbols to concatenate text strings with the TEXT function:

='Date of execution: ' & TEXT(TODAY(), 'dd/mm/yyyy')

Method 2: Combine CONCATENATE with the TEXT function

=CONCATENATE('Date of execution: ', TEXT(TODAY(), 'dd/mm/yyyy'))

Inserting leading zeros to number sequences

Results from this method will be text strings and can't be used for further calculations as they are not numeric values.

Numbers in the column have leading zeros added

The TEXT function is employed to add leading zeros to numbers in a column so that they share the same numerical unit.

=TEXT(A2,'000000')

Adding zeros to phone number data

Numbers without leading zeros in phone numbers are often automatically removed by Excel, causing difficulties in verification or contact. To add zeros to this data, users need to perform the following operation:

='0'&TEXT(C2, '#### ### ###')

Note when using: Phone number data needs to have the same number of digits (a 10-digit phone number will be processed with 10 digits, an 11-digit phone number will be processed with 11 digits).

Transform phone numbers into different formats

You can use special characters such as '-' or '()' with the TEXT function in Excel to apply specific formatting to your work.

For example, if phone numbers need an area code at the beginning, you can set it up like this:

=TEXT(A2,'[<=9999999]### ####;(###) ### ####')

Common errors when using the TEXT function in Excel

Excel formulas require precise manipulation down to each character. Therefore, errors during operations are inevitable. Let's explore some common errors with Mytour!

Error #NAME? when using the TEXT function in Excel

The #NAME? error often occurs when users forget to add double quotes. The solution is simple:

Double-check the formula and add double quotes from =TEXT(D2,mm/dd/yy) to =TEXT(D2,'mm/dd/yy').

Error due to incorrect syntax in Excel

There are two main reasons leading to syntax errors in Excel

Cause 1: It may result from users entering the formula incorrectly or copying a formula from elsewhere with improperly formatted quotes. Typically, Excel will display There's a problem with this formula.

Users can rectify this by manually retyping the formula to ensure correct formatting.

Cause 2: It may be due to differences in language settings in Excel across different countries. For instance, Excel in Germany:

Typically, users in Vietnam might input =TEXT(A1,”mm/dd/yy”) while users in Germany would need to input =TEXT(A1;”mm/tt/jj”).

This article covers everything users need to know when utilizing the TEXT function in Excel. We hope you can apply these tips in your work. If you have any further questions, feel free to leave a comment for Mytour to address. Thank you for reading.