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User profile for user: R_55a
R_55a Author
User level: Level 2
258 points

Format a Numbers sum cell?

I cannot get Numbers to format a cell the way I want. The cell is the sum of the two cells immediately above. The two cells that I am adding each has two decimal places. But the sum cell has three decimal places.


I am in Inspector > Cell > Data Format. In that format command I have set the sum cell to two decimal places. But Numbers refuses to change the sum cell to two decimal places.


I am in Numbers version 13.0 (7036.0.126).


Can Numbers format a cell that is the sum of two other cells?

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 12.6

Posted on Apr 15, 2023 8:07 AM

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User profile for user: Badunit
Badunit
User level: Level 7
27,982 points

Posted on Apr 15, 2023 12:19 PM

The result of SUM in my experience never has more decimal places than the numbers being summed. If it did, those extra digits to the right would be zeros; they would have to be. I believe the cells you are summing have additional decimal places that you have chosen not to show. The cell data format determines what is displayed in the cell but does not affect the value in the cell. It does not round the value in the cell to 2 decimal places. You need to use ROUND to round them to two decimal places if you want them to truly be two decimal places.


Regardless, formatting the number of decimal places for the cell that has the sum should do just as it says; it should display the sum with the number of decimal places you specified. I have never seen it not work.


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User profile for user: Badunit
Badunit
User level: Level 7
27,982 points

Apr 15, 2023 12:19 PM in response to R_55a

The result of SUM in my experience never has more decimal places than the numbers being summed. If it did, those extra digits to the right would be zeros; they would have to be. I believe the cells you are summing have additional decimal places that you have chosen not to show. The cell data format determines what is displayed in the cell but does not affect the value in the cell. It does not round the value in the cell to 2 decimal places. You need to use ROUND to round them to two decimal places if you want them to truly be two decimal places.


Regardless, formatting the number of decimal places for the cell that has the sum should do just as it says; it should display the sum with the number of decimal places you specified. I have never seen it not work.


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Format a Numbers sum cell?

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