Excel VALUE Function is a handy tool for converting text to numbers in Microsoft Excel. It’s like a magic wand that helps you transform a string of characters that looks like a number into an actual numerical value that you can use in your calculations. Let’s break it down for you:
Syntax
=VALUE(text)
Arguments
| text | The text you want to convert into a number. |
How to use
The VALUE function is quite straightforward. You simply provide it with the text that you want to convert into a number. Here’s how you can use it:
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=VALUE("12345") |
This formula will return the number 12345, which was originally stored as text.
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=VALUE("3.14") |
Here, the VALUE function will convert the text “3.14” into the number 3.14, making it ready for calculations.
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=VALUE("$50.25") |
Even when there’s a currency symbol, the VALUE function can transform it into a number, so you get 50.25.
But be careful when using the VALUE function. If you try to convert text that isn’t a number, you’ll get an error. For example:
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=VALUE("Hello") |
This will result in an error because “Hello” cannot be converted into a number.
So, the VALUE function is an excellent tool for changing text into numbers in Excel, making your data more versatile and ready for mathematical operations.