REPT is a simple yet powerful function in Excel that allows you to repeat a given text a specified number of times. It can be especially useful when you need to generate repetitive data or format text in a specific way, and it’s easy enough for a high school student to understand.
Syntax
REPT(text, number_times)
Arguments
| text | The text you want to repeat. |
| number_times | The number of times you want to repeat the given text. This should be a positive whole number. |
How to use
The REPT function is straightforward to use. Let’s look at a couple of examples to illustrate how it works:
Example 1: Repeat a Text String
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=REPT("Hello, ", 3) |
This formula will repeat the text “Hello, ” three times, resulting in “Hello, Hello, Hello, “.
Example 2: Create a Border
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=REPT("*", 10) |
Here, the formula will generate a string of ten asterisks, creating a simple border: “**********”.
Example 3: Generate a Repeated Pattern
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=REPT("12345", 4) |
Using the REPT function, you can create a repeated pattern of numbers. This formula will result in “12345123451234512345”.
Example 4: Handling Optional Arguments
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=REPT("Excel", 2) |
When you don’t specify the number of times to repeat, Excel assumes it to be 1. So, in this case, “Excel” will remain unchanged.
Remember to ensure that the number_times argument is a positive whole number. If it’s negative or not a whole number, REPT will return an error.
REPT is a handy function for various tasks like formatting, creating patterns, or generating repetitive text. It can save time and simplify your Excel work when you need to duplicate text multiple times.
