What is ASC function in Excel?
The ASC function is one of the Text functions of Excel.
It returns the accrued interest for a security that pays interest at maturity.
We can find this function in Text of insert function Tab.
How to use ASC function in excel
- Click on an empty cell (like F5).
2. Click on the fx icon (or press shift+F3).
3. In the insert function tab you will see all functions.
4. Select Text category.
5. Select ASC function.
6. Then select ok.
7. In the function arguments Tab you will see ASC function.
8. Issue is the security’s issue date, expressed as a serial date number.
9. Settlement is the security’s maturity date, expressed as a serial date number.
10. Rate is the security’s annual coupon rate.
11. Par is the security’s par value.
12. Basis is the type of day count basis to use.
13. You will see the results in the formula result section.
Examples of ASC function in Excel
Here are some examples of how to use the ASC function in Excel:
Example 1: Find the ASCII code for a single character Suppose we want to find the ASCII code for the letter “A”.
We can use the following formula:
=ASC(“A”)
This will return the numeric value 65, which is the ASCII code for the letter “A”.
Example 2: Find the ASCII codes for characters in a string Suppose we have a string of characters “Hello World!”.
We can find the ASCII codes for each character using the following formulas:
=ASC(“H”) -> returns 72 =ASC(“e”) -> returns 101 =ASC(“l”) -> returns 108 =ASC(“l”) -> returns 108 =ASC(“o”) -> returns 111 =ASC(” “) -> returns 32 =ASC(“W”) -> returns 87 =ASC(“o”) -> returns 111 =ASC(“r”) -> returns 114 =ASC(“l”) -> returns 108 =ASC(“d”) -> returns 100 =ASC(“!”) -> returns 33
The resulting column will contain a series of numeric values representing the ASCII codes of each character in the original string.
Example 3: Convert an ASCII value back into its corresponding character Suppose we have the ASCII code 97, which represents the lowercase letter “a”.
We can convert this value back into its corresponding character using the CHAR function:
=CHAR(97)
This will return the text string “a”.
Overall, these examples demonstrate how the ASC function can be used to work with text data and convert between ASCII codes and textual representations of characters.
What are the arguments of the ASC function?
The ASC function in Excel is used to return the ASCII value of a character.
The only argument for the ASC function is the character whose ASCII value you want to find.
Syntax: =ASC(text)
The “text” argument is the character whose ASCII code you want to find. It can be entered directly as the character or as a cell reference containing that character.
Example 1: Suppose we want to find the ASCII value for the letter “A”. We can use the following formula: =ASC(“A”).
This will return the numeric value 65, which is the ASCII value for the letter “A”.
Example 2: We can also use a cell reference as the argument for the ASC function. For example, if cell A1 contains the character “B”, then we can use the formula: =ASC(A1).
This will return the numeric value 66, which is the ASCII value for the letter “B”.
Example 3: In addition to letters, the ASC function can also be used to find the ASCII values for other characters such as numbers and symbols.
For instance, the formula =ASC(“0”) returns the value 48, which is the ASCII value for the number 0; and the formula =ASC(“%”) returns the value 37, which is the ASCII value for the percent symbol.
Note that the ASC function returns a numeric value, not a character. If you want to convert an ASCII value back into its corresponding character, you can use the CHAR function in Excel.
How to use the ASC function in Excel?
The ASC function in Excel is used to return the ASCII value of a character.
To use the ASC function, follow these steps:
- Start by typing “=ASC(” in the cell where you want to display the result.
- Next, enter the character whose ASCII value you want to find inside the parentheses.
- You can type the character directly or enter the reference to a cell containing that character.
- Close the parentheses and press Enter.
The formula will then calculate the ASCII code for the character you entered and display the numeric result in the cell.
For example, let’s say we want to find the ASCII value for the letter “A”.
We can use the following formula:
=ASC(“A”)
This will return the numeric value 65, which is the ASCII value for the letter “A”.
We can also use a cell reference as the argument for the ASC function.
For example, if cell A1 contains the character “B”, then we can use the formula:
=ASC(A1)
This will return the numeric value 66, which is the ASCII value for the letter “B”.
In addition to letters, the ASC function can also be used to find the ASCII values for other characters such as numbers and symbols.
For instance, the formula =ASC(“0”) returns the value 48, which is the ASCII value for the number 0; and the formula =ASC(“%”) returns the value 37, which is the ASCII value for the percent symbol.
Note that the ASC function returns a numeric value, not a character. If you want to convert an ASCII value back into its corresponding character, you can use the CHAR function in Excel.
Can the ASC function be used with non-English characters?
The ASC function in Excel is designed to work with English characters and their corresponding ASCII codes.
Non-English characters, such as accented letters or characters used in other languages, may have different ASCII values or not have ASCII values at all.
For example, the letter “A” has an ASCII value of 65, while the letter “á” used in the Spanish language does not have an ASCII value and cannot be used with the ASC function.
However, it is possible to use Unicode values instead of ASCII values to represent non-English characters.
The UNICHAR function in Excel is used to return a Unicode character based on its numerical code.
For example, the formula =UNICHAR(225) returns the character “á”, which has a Unicode value of 225.
So if you have non-English characters in your data, you may need to use the UNICHAR function instead of the ASC function to work with those characters.
In conclusion, the ASC function should only be used for English characters that have corresponding ASCII values.
For non-English characters, you should use Unicode values or consider using functions that are specifically designed for non-English characters.
What is the difference between the ASC and the CHAR function in Excel?
The ASC and the CHAR functions in Excel are complementary functions that work together to convert characters between their ASCII codes and textual representations.
The main difference between these two functions is the type of input they accept and the type of output they produce.
ASC Function: The ASC function in Excel is used to return the ASCII value of a character. It takes a single argument, which is the character for which you want to find the ASCII code.
The output of the ASC function is a number representing the ASCII code for the given character.
For example, the formula =ASC(“A”) returns the number 65, which is the ASCII value for the uppercase letter “A”.
Similarly, the formula =ASC(“5”) returns the number 53, which is the ASCII value for the character “5”.
CHAR Function: The CHAR function in Excel is used to return the character based on the ASCII code. It takes a single argument, which is the ASCII code for the character you want to display.
The output of the CHAR function is the text representation of the character corresponding to the given ASCII code.
For example, the formula =CHAR(65) returns the uppercase letter “A”, which corresponds to the ASCII code 65. Similarly, the formula =CHAR(53) returns the character “5”, which corresponds to the ASCII code 53.
In summary, the ASC function converts a character to its ASCII code, while the CHAR function converts an ASCII code to its corresponding character.
Together, these functions allow you to work with text data in both the numerical and textual forms. You can even use them together in more complex formulas to manipulate text data in various ways.
How to find the ASCII value of a character using the ASC function?
To find the ASCII value of a character using the ASC function in Excel, follow these steps:
- Determine the character whose ASCII value you want to find.
- To use the ASC function, type “=ASC(” in the cell where you want to display the result.
- Inside the parentheses, enter the character whose ASCII value you want to find.
- You can type the character directly or enter the reference of a cell containing that character.
- Close the parentheses and press Enter.
The formula will then calculate the ASCII code for the character you entered and display the numeric result in the cell.
For example, let’s say we want to find the ASCII value for the uppercase letter “A”.
We can use the following formula:
=ASC(“A”)
This will return the numeric value 65, which is the ASCII value for the letter “A”.
We can also use a cell reference as the argument for the ASC function.
For example, if cell A1 contains the character “B”, then we can use the formula:
=ASC(A1)
This will return the numeric value 66, which is the ASCII value for the letter “B”.
In addition to letters, the ASC function can also be used to find the ASCII values for other characters such as numbers and symbols.
For instance, the formula =ASC(“0”) returns the value 48, which is the ASCII value for the number 0; and the formula =ASC(“%”) returns the value 37, which is the ASCII value for the percent symbol.
Note that the ASC function returns a numeric value, not a character. If you want to convert an ASCII value back into its corresponding character, you can use the CHAR function in Excel.
Can the ASC function be used to sort a list of text values alphabetically?
No, the ASC function cannot be used to sort a list of text values alphabetically on its own.
The ASC function is used to return the ASCII value of a character and does not have any built-in sorting functionality.
However, you can use the ASC function in combination with other Excel functions to sort a list of text values alphabetically.
One common approach is to use the “helper column” method, where you add a new column next to the list and use a formula to calculate the ASCII code for the first letter of each entry in the original list.
Then, you can sort the list based on the values in the helper column to achieve alphabetical ordering.
Here’s an example:
Suppose we have a list of names in column A that we want to sort alphabetically.
We can create a helper column B next to it and apply the following formula in cell B1:
=ASC(LEFT(A1,1))
This formula uses the LEFT function to extract the first letter of the name in cell A1, and then uses the ASC function to calculate the ASCII code for that letter.
Next, copy the formula down to the rest of the cells in column B. The result will be a list of numeric values representing the ASCII codes of the first letters of the names.
Finally, select both columns A and B, and sort the data by the values in column B. This will sort the names alphabetically based on the first letter of each name.
Note that this method works only for lists with single-letter or same-first-letter entries. For more complex lists, you may need to use more advanced sorting techniques such as custom sorting or VBA macros.
How to convert a string of characters into a series of ASCII codes using the ASC function?
To convert a string of characters into a series of ASCII codes using the ASC function in Excel, follow these steps:
- Start by typing “=ASC(” in the first cell of the column where you want to display the results.
- Next, enter the first character of the string inside the parentheses.
- You can type the character directly or enter the reference to a cell containing that character.
- Close the parentheses and press Enter.
- Copy the formula down to the rest of the cells in the column.
The formula will then calculate the ASCII code for each character in the string and display the corresponding numeric values in each cell of the column.
For example, let’s say we have a string of characters “HELLO” that we want to convert into a series of ASCII codes.
We can use the following formula in cell A1:
=ASC(“H”)
This will return the numeric value 72, which is the ASCII value for the letter “H”.
Next, copy the formula down to the rest of the cells in column A, entering the other characters of the string one by one as arguments for the ASC function:
=ASC(“E”) -> returns 69 =ASC(“L”) -> returns 76 =ASC(“L”) -> returns 76 =ASC(“O”) -> returns 79
The resulting column will contain a series of numeric values representing the ASCII codes of each character in the original string.
Note that if you have a long string with many characters, it may be more efficient to use a combination of text functions such as MID and LEN to extract each character and apply the ASC function to it.
What is the maximum and minimum value that can be returned by the ASC function?
The maximum and minimum value that can be returned by the ASC function in Excel depends on the character set being used.
The ASCII standard, which is used by the ASC function, defines 128 characters represented by codes ranging from 0 to 127.
Therefore, the maximum value that can be returned by the ASC function is 127, which corresponds to the last character of the ASCII table.
The minimum value that can be returned by the ASC function is 0, which corresponds to the NULL character in the ASCII table.
However, it is unlikely that you will encounter this character in typical text data.
In addition to the ASCII standard, there are other character sets such as Unicode that define a much larger range of characters and corresponding codes.
The UNICHAR function in Excel is used to work with Unicode characters.
Note that the ASC function returns a numeric value, not a character. If you want to convert an ASCII value back into its corresponding character, you can use the CHAR function in Excel.
Are there any limitations or restrictions when using the ASC function in Excel?
There are a few limitations and restrictions when using the ASC function in Excel.
Here are some important things to keep in mind:
- The ASC function can only be used with single characters: The ASC function takes a single argument, which is the character for which you want to find the ASCII code.
- This means that it can only be used to work with single characters, not entire strings or phrases.
- The ASC function is case-sensitive: The ASCII values for uppercase letters and lowercase letters are different, so you need to make sure you use the correct case when entering the character as an argument for the ASC function.
- The ASC function works only with ASCII characters: The ASC function is designed to work with English characters and their corresponding ASCII codes. Non-English characters may have different ASCII values or not have ASCII values at all. In such cases, you may need to use Unicode values instead of ASCII codes.
- The ASC function returns a numeric value: The ASC function returns a numeric value representing the ASCII code of the character you entered.
- If you want to convert this value back into its corresponding character, you can use the CHAR function.
- The maximum value that can be returned by the ASC function is 127: The ASCII standard defines 128 characters represented by codes ranging from 0 to 127.
- Therefore, the maximum value that can be returned by the ASC function is 127, which corresponds to the last character of the ASCII table.
- The ASC function does not provide any sorting functionality on its own: While the ASC function can be used to help sort text values alphabetically, it cannot be used to sort a list of text values directly.
- You may need to use other functions or methods in Excel to achieve the desired sorting results.
Overall, the ASC function is a useful tool for working with text data in Excel, but it has certain limitations and requires careful attention to its input and output values.
