Willow Tips

Tip #2000-2: Displaying color-coded up/down arrows in Excel

How do I make those and characters?

You hold down the ALT key and use the numeric keypad to enter the ASCII numbers for particular characters. The code for Þ is ALT 0222 and the code for þ is ALT 0254.

So, if you want to create our custom number format yourself:

1. Go to the Number tab in Format Cells...
2. Select "Custom" from the list box and delete anything in the code box
3. Type [GREEN]
4. Hold down the ALT key and, using the numeric keypad, type the number 0222 (Be sure the NumLock key is on.) Release the ALT key and the symbol Þ appears.
5. Enter a semicolon and then type [RED]
6. Again hold down the ALT key and, using the numeric keypad, type the number 0254. Release the Alt key and the symbol þ appears.
7. The final text should look like this: [GREEN]Þ;[RED]þ
8. Click OK and your cell should now be formatted

Why is the character on the sheet different from the one in the dialog box?

The font determines what gets displayed by an ASCII number. The number 0222 is a Þ in Times New Roman font but an up-arrow in IDN fonts. It might be a smiley face in some other font.

If you want to see all the symbols available for a particular font, look at the Windows Character Map. It's probably in your Accessories group. Click on the Start menu in Windows 95 and go to the Accessories folder.