REPT function

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

This formula will repeat the text “Hello, ” three times, resulting in “Hello, Hello, Hello, “.

Example 2: Create a Border

Here, the formula will generate a string of ten asterisks, creating a simple border: “**********”.

Example 3: Generate a Repeated Pattern

Using the REPT function, you can create a repeated pattern of numbers. This formula will result in “12345123451234512345”.

Example 4: Handling Optional Arguments

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.