Numbers - Defining the Scale of a Custom Number Format

Defining the Scale of a Custom Number Format

The Scale element lets you display a number entered into a table cell using
percentage, scientific notation, or other value sizing conventions.

To use the Scale element:

1

Add it as “Creating a Custom Number Format” on page 102 describes.

2

Select it in the format field, click its disclosure triangle, and then choose an option.

When you apply a format that includes a scale element to a cell that already contains
a value, the original value is preserved (it’s just displayed differently). When you apply
the same format to an empty cell and then add a value to the cell, the actual value
takes into account the scale you’ve specified. The following table illustrates these cases.

106

Chapter 4

Working with Table Cells

For this scale option

When you enter 12000
in a table cell

The actual value is

The displayed value is

Billions (B)

And later apply the
option

12000

0B

After applying the
option

12000

0B

Trillions

And later apply the
option

12000

0

After applying the
option

12000

0

Trillions (T)

And later apply the
option

12000

0T

After applying the
option

12000

0T

Scientific

And later apply the
option

12000

1E+0.4

After applying the
option

12000

1E+0.4