tools|options|Edit tab|fixed decimal places

[Jonathan Cooper]

Following up on a post from a couple weeks ago.

I'm wondering if anyone knows of a good use for this option. As far as I
can tell, it is a global setting (i.e., affects all open worksheets). It
appears as if it would be used for data entry purposes, but it doesn't work
like I would expect it to.

For example, if fixed decimal places is set to 3, when you enter

12,345 = 12.345 (once you hit enter, excel moves the decimal position three
to the left)

12,345.6 = 12,345.6 (but if you use a decimal place when you type the
number, it doesn't move the decimal at all)

 

[Dave Peterson]

If you're doing a lot of bookkeeping, it's sometimes easier to just type the
digits and let excel determine where the decimal point goes.

But if you want to specify the exact location of that decimal point, excel
should let you (and does).

(I've never used it in any serious manner, but I bet lots of people do.)