The CHAR function in Excel is used to return the character specified by a number from the character set used by your computer. This can be particularly useful for inserting special symbols and characters in Excel worksheets.
Here’s how you can use the CHAR function:
Syntax
CHAR(number)
- number: A number between 1 and 255 specifying which character you want. The number corresponds to an ASCII value, which is a character encoding standard.
Using the CHAR function
- Insert: You can type `=CHAR(number)` directly into a cell where you want the character to appear.
- Examples:
- `=CHAR(65)` returns “A”, because 65 is the ASCII value for the capital letter A.
- `=CHAR(10)` returns a line break, useful in formulas to insert returns in cell text.
- `=CHAR(36)` returns “$”, the dollar sign.
Practical Use Cases
- Special Symbols: If you need to insert symbols like ® (registered trademark), you can use `=CHAR(174)`.
- Line Breaks in Formulas: Combine text with line breaks using `= “Line 1” & CHAR(10) & “Line 2″`.
- Note: Ensure that the cell has wrap text enabled for this to display correctly (go to Format Cells > Alignment > Wrap Text).
Tips
- The actual character returned depends on the character set (code page) used by your computer. For example, the Windows character set might differ from another operating system’s character set.
By understanding and using the CHAR function, you can enhance how text and special characters are displayed within your Excel worksheets.
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