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FIXED

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the FIXED function in Excel, which is used to format numbers as text with a specified number of decimal places. This function is particularly useful when you want to display numbers in a specific format without affecting the underlying value. We will cover the syntax, examples, tips and tricks, common mistakes, troubleshooting, and related formulae for the FIXED function.

FIXED Syntax

The syntax for the FIXED function in Excel is as follows:

FIXED(number, [decimals], [no_commas])

Where:

  • number (required): The number you want to format.
  • decimals (optional): The number of decimal places to display. If omitted, it defaults to 2 decimal places.
  • no_commas (optional): A logical value (TRUE or FALSE) that determines whether or not to display commas as thousands separators. If omitted, it defaults to FALSE, meaning commas will be displayed.

FIXED Examples

Let’s look at some examples of using the FIXED function in Excel:

Example 1: Basic usage of FIXED function

=FIXED(1234.567)

This formula will return the text “1,234.57”, as it rounds the number to 2 decimal places and includes commas as thousands separators by default.

Example 2: Specifying the number of decimal places

=FIXED(1234.567, 3)

This formula will return the text “1,234.567”, as it rounds the number to 3 decimal places and includes commas as thousands separators.

Example 3: Removing commas as thousands separators

=FIXED(1234.567, 2, TRUE)

This formula will return the text “1234.57”, as it rounds the number to 2 decimal places and removes commas as thousands separators.

FIXED Tips & Tricks

Here are some tips and tricks to help you get the most out of the FIXED function in Excel:

  1. Use the FIXED function to format numbers in a specific way for display purposes, without affecting the underlying value. This can be useful when creating reports or dashboards.
  2. If you want to remove all decimal places and display only the integer part of a number, set the decimals argument to 0.
  3. To display a number with a specific number of trailing zeros, set the decimals argument to the desired number of zeros.
  4. Remember that the FIXED function returns a text value, not a number. This means that you cannot use the result of a FIXED function in calculations directly. If you need to perform calculations with the formatted number, you may need to use the VALUE function to convert the text back to a number.

Common Mistakes When Using FIXED

Here are some common mistakes to avoid when using the FIXED function in Excel:

  1. Not specifying the decimals argument when you want a specific number of decimal places. By default, the FIXED function rounds the number to 2 decimal places. If you want a different number of decimal places, make sure to specify the decimals argument.
  2. Using the FIXED function in calculations without converting the result back to a number. Since the FIXED function returns a text value, you cannot use it directly in calculations. If you need to perform calculations with the formatted number, use the VALUE function to convert the text back to a number.

Why Isn’t My FIXED Function Working?

If your FIXED function isn’t working as expected, consider the following troubleshooting steps:

  1. Check the number argument to ensure it is a valid number. If you are referencing a cell, make sure the cell contains a number and not text.
  2. Ensure that the decimals argument is set to the desired number of decimal places. If omitted, the FIXED function will round the number to 2 decimal places by default.
  3. Verify that the no_commas argument is set correctly. If you want to remove commas as thousands separators, set this argument to TRUE. If omitted, the FIXED function will display commas by default.
  4. If you are using the result of the FIXED function in calculations, remember that the function returns a text value. You may need to use the VALUE function to convert the text back to a number before performing calculations.

FIXED: Related Formulae

Here are some related formulae that you may find useful when working with the FIXED function in Excel:

  1. TEXT: The TEXT function allows you to format numbers as text using custom number formats. This function provides more flexibility in formatting compared to the FIXED function.
  2. ROUND: The ROUND function rounds a number to a specified number of decimal places. This function can be used if you only need to round a number without converting it to text.
  3. TRUNC: The TRUNC function truncates a number to a specified number of decimal places, without rounding. This can be useful if you want to remove decimal places without affecting the integer part of the number.
  4. INT: The INT function rounds a number down to the nearest integer. This function can be used if you want to remove all decimal places and display only the integer part of a number.
  5. VALUE: The VALUE function converts a text value that represents a number to a numeric value. This function can be used to convert the result of the FIXED function back to a number for calculations.

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