How to convert letters to numbers
How to convert letters into numbers. Have you ever had to copy numbers from one Excel file to another and encountered calculation problems or confusion in the order of the data as the software incorrectly treated and formatted it as text, after pasting, instead of as figures? Have you ever worked on a project that needed to convert letters to binary numbers and you don’t know how to do it? I bet so, since you are here and reading this guide on how to convert letters to numbers. Anyway, no problem: whether you are a student, a professional or a simple enthusiast, I will now illustrate the steps to arrive at the solution that is most convenient for you.
As for Excel, the numbers copied into a worksheet sometimes get filed in cells as if they were text. This type of problem usually occurs when data is imported from external sources, probably because it was originally formatted in a different way. In that case, the numbers formatted as text appear shifted to the left rather than the right in the cell, and are usually indicated by an error indicator. However, it is an easy problem to solve.
Regarding the projects that include the treatment of binary numbers or the encryption of a text transforming letters into numbers, the solutions available to you are also many and easy to adopt. Let’s, together, understand how to do it.
How to convert letters to numbers in Excel
Are you having trouble copying numbers from one Excel sheet to another, as the numbers, once pasted, are formatted as text? I will explain how to solve this problem in various ways using Microsoft Excel. It is famous spreadsheet software included in the Office suite (but also available in a standalone version on Windows and macOS stores) and compatible with Windows and macOS.
Conversion using error checking
The first method to solve the problem that I propose is based on bug check present in Excel, currently only available for versions desk app.
As you may have already noticed, the numbers stored as text are aligned to the left of the individual cells. Then select the cell or cells you want to convert, click the icon with the exclamation mark next to the number, and then in the drop-down menu that appears, click Convert to number.
If this option is not available, select the cell or cells to convert (or the entire column, if necessary; the important thing is that all the selected cells are in the same column), then on the tab data located in the upper right, click the button Columnar text. In the window that appears, immediately click the button. final, then if you use Windows Press the button Ctrl together with the button 1.
If, on the other hand, you use a Mac, Press the button command together with the button 1. From the window that appears, call Format cells, select the category on the left number, then write in the middle box how many Decimal places you want to see and finally in the box below the display format of Negative numbers. When you are sure that you have successfully customized the overall number display, click the button well, Bottom right.
An alternative to the aforementioned procedure (also valid for Excel online ) is to open from the card home the central drop-down menu by pressing arrow to the right of the wording general, then select the last option Other number formats. From the window Number format that will open, select the category on the left number, customizing the general number is displayed as desired on the desktop. Finally click on well, bottom right, to convert the desired cell or cells into numbers.
If you are using Excel through the Android application on your mobile phone, press instead arrow located in the lower right (making sure the menu on the left is set to home ), or if you are acting as a tablet, press the tab home placed on top. Then scroll through the options until you reach the paragraph Number format, press it and touch number, specifying how you want to display negative numbers.
Using the Excel application for iOS or iPadOS, you must go to the section home (via the menu at the bottom of the iPhone or the tab at the top of the iPad), press the button ABC123 located below the button view and finally select the option number.
Conversion via the «Value» function
As an alternative to what we saw in the previous chapter, you can use a native Excel formula to convert letters to numbers: it is the Value function, which returns the numeric value of the entered text. The following procedure is valid for both desktop versions so much for Excel online, while it differs in the mobile versions.
First insert a new column next to the cells containing the letters to be converted by clicking with the the right button of the mouse in the column identification letter, then selecting the option get in from the drop-down menu. Make sure you don’t create a new one from the one you want to convert from; otherwise the formula will not work.
Inside a cell in the new column, type the term = VALUE () and then, placing the mouse cursor between the two brackets, click on a cell that has the value that you want to convert to a number format (in this case, cell E3); the cell reference must appear between the two brackets. Finally press Enter so that the value finally appears in numeric format.
Now move the mouse cursor to it Lower right corner of the newly converted cell, until it takes the form of plus sign (+) : Click and drag down, using the left mouse button, thus duplicating the formula in the cells below.
At this point, you will have obtained a new column of values in numeric format; you can use them directly, or you can copy and paste them into the original column at your convenience.
If you want to copy them to the column you started from, select cells you just populated with the Value function, press Ctrl together with the button C ( command together with the button c, if you’re using a Mac), click the first cell in the original column. In the desktop version select card home, in the upper left corner, then click arrow near the button Paste, select the last item in the drop-down menu Special pasta and select the field values, at the top left, finally by clicking accept on online version select card home, in the upper left, click the arrow under button Paste and select directly Paste values.
In case you are using the Android version of Excel, insert a new column next to the cells containing the letters, touching an existing column other than the one to be converted, go to the section home, press Insert and delete, then touch Insert columns.
Now double tap on a cell in the new column, type the term using the numeric keypad = VALUE (), place the cursor between the two brackets, press a cell with the value to convert and finally touch the button with the tick green up to the right. Repeat the above operations individually for each cell you want to convert, until you have obtained a new column of values in numeric format.
If you want to copy them to the initial column, select the first cell you just converted, then all the others, by dragging the Green Point at the bottom right of the cell across the entire column; From the menu that will open, choose the option copy (represented with two sheets next to each other ). Then double-click on the first original cell, select the down arrow next to the comment in the menu that opens, then choose the option values.
If you are a user instead IOS / iPadOS, tap an existing column other than the one to be converted, then select the option get in. Double tap on the first cell of the new column, type the term with the keyboard = VALUE (), place the cursor between the two brackets, select a cell to convert, and then press the green button with check mark located in the upper right. To get the new column filled with numeric values, you will need to repeat each of the steps described above.
To copy the new values into the initial column, tap the first converted cell, then select all the others, by dragging the Green Point bottom right of the cell across the entire column. From the menu that will open, select the option copy, then double click the starting cell, choose the option Paste special and finally the option values.
Conversion using the “Paste Special” and “Multiply” functions
If you have not been able to convert letters to numbers in Excel with the above methods, then this may be for you – it is very useful especially for converting multiple columns at the same time.
First select one empty cell not involved in the conversion problem, type button 1 inside and press the button present. Awards Ctrl together with the button C ( command with the key c, if you are using a Mac) to copy it, select the cells you need to convert from letter to number format.
From the card home, in the upper left corner, then click arrow next to the button Paste, click on the last item …
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