Understand the data types of Excel in one article

This article brings you relevant knowledge about excel, which mainly introduces related issues about data types, including numerical values, text, date and time, logical values ​​and error values, etc. Let’s take a look at the content below. I hope it will be helpful to everyone.

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Is data still divided into types?

Yes, just like some people have endocrine disorders, some have Alzheimer's disease, and some have nothing to do, the data in Excel is also divided into different types. Save the data in the correct type, and subsequent statistical summary will be much more convenient.

Next let’s take a look at the characteristics of different data types.

1. Numerical values

This type of data is basically numbers that need to be calculated, such as sales, test scores, etc.

2. Text

Name, gender, product name, etc. are all text type. There are also some numbers that do not need to be calculated, such as phone numbers, bank card numbers, etc. Save as text.

3. Date and time

Date and time data is a special category. For example, if you enter "2021-2-14" in cell A1, Excel will automatically Save as date format.

If you set the number format of this cell to regular (that is, no formatting) or number, the content in the cell will become a 5-digit number:

What does this number mean?

According to the official statement, this number is called "date serial value". In Excel, the date range that can be recognized is January 1, 1900 to December 31, 9999. The serial value of each date is the number of days from January 1, 1900. The date serial value of one day is 1 .

You see, the date can be displayed in a unique way or as a numerical value, so it can also be added and subtracted like numbers. To calculate the number of days between the two dates in the picture below, just one subtraction is enough.

If you need to calculate the date 20 days after "2021/5/1", do you know how to calculate it?

Next let’s look at the time type.

Enter "8:20" or "8:20" in the cell, and Excel will automatically store it in the time format. Although the number format shows "custom", the secret is already exposed in the editing column.

If you set the number format of this cell to normal, see what the result is:

turns out to be It's a decimal.

What's going on with this decimal? This is the time series value.

As mentioned earlier, the serial value of a date is an integer, and the serial value of a day is 1. The serial value of time is a decimal. The serial value of one hour is 1 divided by 24 (24 hours). The serial value of one minute is 1 divided by 24 and then divided by 60. The serial value of one second is 1 divided by 24 and then divided. Divide 60 by 60.

4. Logical value

In daily life, Lao Wang and Xiao Wang greet each other: "Are you Xiao Wang?". Xiao Wang replied, "Yes, yes, you are Lao Wang, right?".

In Excel, what is used to express "yes" or "no"? It is to use logical values. There are two logical values, TRUE means "yes", FALSE means "no".

5. Error value

The error value is usually when using a formula, due to various reasons it fails to return the required results, but instead returns a string of error value codes composed of different characters.

Common error values ​​include the following:

#VALUE!

This error value will occur if the number type referenced by the formula is incorrect. . For example, if the formula =1 I, Excel doesn’t know who “I” is, so it can’t calculate it.

#DIV/0!

This error value means that the number is divided by 0, because 0 cannot be used as the dividend. For example, the formula =1/0 will return the error value #DIV/0!.

#NAME?

Name is the name, followed by a question mark, which means that Excel does not know what the characters in the formula mean: What is this name? ?

#N/A

This error usually means that the search function cannot find the key content. N/A, it’s difficult.

#REF!

This error value indicates that the cell reference is invalid. If you accidentally delete the row or column referenced by the formula, this error value will appear. . REF, do not read it as second uncle...

#NUM!

NUM represents Number, and the error value #NUM! represents an invalid number. For example, if you want to calculate the fourth minimum value among three numbers, it will definitely not be calculated.

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