NUMBERVALUE Function in Excel

The NUMBERVALUE function is one of the (TEXT) functions of Excel. It converts text to number in a locale-independent manner.

We can find this function in TEXT of insert function Tab.

How to use NUMBERVALUE function in excel

1. Click on empty cell (like F5 )

2. Click on fx on the below of font word (or press shift+F3)

3. In insert function tab you will see all functions

4. Select TEXT category

5. Select NUMBERVALUE function

6. Then select ok

7. In function arguments Tab you will see NUMBERVALUE function

8. Text is the string representing the number you want to convert

9. Decimal separator is the character used as the decimal separator in the string

10. Group separator is the character used as the group separator in the string

11. You will see the results in formula result section

Examples of NUMBERVALUE function in Excel

Sure, here are 10 examples of using the NUMBERVALUE function in Excel:

1. Convert text string “123” to a numeric value: =NUMBERVALUE(“123”)
2. Convert negative text string “-456” to a negative numeric value: =NUMBERVALUE(“-456”)
3. Convert text string “1,234.56” with comma separator to a numeric value: =NUMBERVALUE(“1,234.56″,”,”,”.”)
4. Convert text string “1.234,56” with different decimal and thousand separators to a numeric value: =NUMBERVALUE(“1.234,56″,”.”,”,”)
5. Convert text strings in range A2:A10 to numbers: =NUMBERVALUE(A2:A10)
6. Convert mixed text and numeric values in cell A1 to a number: =NUMBERVALUE(A1)
7. Convert text string “0xABCDEF” representing hexadecimal value to a decimal number: =NUMBERVALUE(“0xABCDEF”,16)
8. Convert text string “011” representing an octal value to a decimal number: =NUMBERVALUE(“011”,8)
9. Convert text string “123%” representing a percentage to a decimal number: =NUMBERVALUE(“123%”)/100
10. Convert text string “12-Feb-2022” representing a date to a serial number: =NUMBERVALUE(“12-Feb-2022”)

What is the syntax of the NUMBERVALUE function in Excel?

The NUMBERVALUE function in Excel is used to convert text into a numeric value. Its syntax consists of the following three arguments:

=NUMBERVALUE(text, [decimal_separator], [group_separator])

1. “text” (required): This is the text that you want to convert into a number. It can be entered as a string enclosed in double-quotes or as a reference to a cell containing the text.
2. “decimal_separator” (optional): This argument specifies the character used as the decimal separator in the text. If this argument is omitted, Excel will use the default decimal separator for your system settings. If the decimal separator in the text is different from the default, you must specify it explicitly. For example, if the text contains a comma as a decimal separator, you would use “,” as the second argument.
3. “group_separator” (optional): This argument specifies the character used as the group separator in the text. If this argument is omitted, Excel will use the default group separator for your system settings. If the group separator in the text is different from the default, you must specify it explicitly. For example, if the text uses a period as a group separator, you would use “.” as the third argument.

Here are some examples using the NUMBERVALUE function with different arguments:

Example 1: =NUMBERVALUE(“123”) Result: 123

This formula converts the text string “123” into a numeric value.

Example 2: =NUMBERVALUE(“-456”) Result: -456

This formula converts the negative text string “-456” into a negative numeric value.

Example 3: =NUMBERVALUE(“1,234.56″,”,”,”.”) Result: 1234.56

This formula converts the text string “1,234.56” with comma separator to a numeric value, specifying the comma as the group separator and the period as the decimal separator.

Example 4: =NUMBERVALUE(“1.234,56″,”.”,”,”) Result: 1234.56

This formula converts the text string “1.234,56” with different decimal and thousand separators to a numeric value, specifying the period as the decimal separator and the comma as the group separator.

Example 5: =NUMBERVALUE(A2:A10) Result: Converts text strings in range A2:A10 to numbers.

This formula converts all text values in range A2:A10 into numeric values.

Example 6: =NUMBERVALUE(A1) Result: Converts mixed text and numeric values in cell A1 to a number.

This formula converts the text and numeric values in cell A1 into a single numeric value.

These are the basic syntax and examples of using the NUMBERVALUE function in Excel.

What does the NUMBERVALUE function do in Excel?

The NUMBERVALUE function in Excel is used to convert text values that represent numbers into actual numeric values. It can be useful when working with data that is imported or copied from other sources, and where numbers are stored as text values.

The function takes a single argument, which is the text value that you want to convert. By default, Excel uses the system settings to determine the decimal and group separators used in the text, but you can specify these characters explicitly if they differ from the defaults.

Here is an example of how the NUMBERVALUE function works:

Suppose you have a spreadsheet with a column of numbers represented as text values, like this:

To sum these numbers, you might use a formula like this:

=SUM(A1:A3)

However, because the numbers are stored as text values, this formula will return a #VALUE! error, as shown below:

To fix this error, you can use the NUMBERVALUE function to convert the text values into numeric values. The formula would look something like this:

=SUM(NUMBERVALUE(A1),NUMBERVALUE(A2),NUMBERVALUE(A3))

The NUMBERVALUE function will convert each text value into a numeric value that can be used in calculations. The resulting formula will return the correct sum of the numbers:

In summary, the NUMBERVALUE function in Excel converts text values that represent numbers into actual numeric values, allowing you to perform calculations on them. It is a useful tool for working with data that contains numbers stored as text values.

How do I use the NUMBERVALUE function to convert text to numbers in Excel?

Sure, I’d be happy to explain how to use the NUMBERVALUE function in Excel to convert text values to numbers.

The NUMBERVALUE function is used to convert text that represents a number into an actual numeric value that can be used in calculations. It takes a single argument, which is the text value that you want to convert. Here is the syntax for the function:

=NUMBERVALUE(text, [decimal_separator], [group_separator])

Let’s break down each of these arguments:

• text: This is the text value that you want to convert to a number. It can be a cell reference, a formula, or any other text string.
• [decimal_separator]: This argument is optional, and specifies the character that should be used as the decimal separator. If this argument is omitted, Excel will use the default decimal separator for your system’s regional settings. For example, in the US, the decimal separator is typically “.” (period), while in many European countries, it is “,” (comma).
• [group_separator]: This argument is also optional, and specifies the character that should be used as the group separator. The group separator is used to separate thousands, millions, etc. in large numbers. If this argument is omitted, Excel will use the default group separator for your system’s regional settings.

Now let’s look at some examples of how to use the NUMBERVALUE function:

Example 1: Basic usage

Suppose you have a cell that contains the text “1234”, and you want to convert it to a number. You would use the following formula:

=NUMBERVALUE("1234")

This would return the numeric value 1234.

Example 2: Specifying the decimal separator

Suppose you have a cell that contains the text “1,234.56”, but your system’s regional settings use “.” as the decimal separator. You can use the following formula to convert the text to a number:

=NUMBERVALUE("1,234.56", ".", ",")

This tells Excel to use “.” as the decimal separator and “,” as the group separator. The function would return the numeric value 1234.56.

Example 3: Using cell references

You can also use cell references with the NUMBERVALUE function. For example, if you have the text “1234” in cell A1, you can use the following formula to convert it to a number:

=NUMBERVALUE(A1)

This would return the same result as Example 1.

In summary, the NUMBERVALUE function is a useful tool for converting text values to numbers in Excel. By default, Excel uses your system’s regional settings to determine the decimal and group separators, but you can specify these characters explicitly if needed.

Can the NUMBERVALUE function handle different numbering systems, such as hexadecimal or octal?

The NUMBERVALUE function in Excel is primarily designed to handle decimal numbers, which are the most common numbering system used in everyday calculations. However, it can also handle hexadecimal and octal numbers, as long as they are represented using the appropriate prefix.

In hexadecimal notation, the prefix “0x” or “0X” is typically used to indicate that a number is written in base 16. In octal notation, the prefix “0” is used to indicate that a number is written in base 8.

Here are some examples of how to use the NUMBERVALUE function with hexadecimal and octal numbers:

Example 1: Converting a hexadecimal number

Suppose you have the text value “0xFF” in cell A1, which represents the hexadecimal number “FF”. To convert this to a decimal number, you can use the following formula:

=NUMBERVALUE(A1, 16)

The second argument, “16”, specifies that the input number is in base 16 (hexadecimal). The function would return the decimal value 255.

Example 2: Converting an octal number

Suppose you have the text value “026” in cell A1, which represents the octal number 26. To convert this to a decimal number, you can use the following formula:

=NUMBERVALUE(A1, 8)

The second argument, “8”, specifies that the input number is in base 8 (octal). The function would return the decimal value 22.

It’s worth noting that if the input text does not include the appropriate prefix (“0x” or “0”), the NUMBERVALUE function will treat the number as a decimal number by default. For example, the text “FF” without the “0x” prefix would be treated as the decimal number 255, rather than the hexadecimal number “FF”.

In summary, while the NUMBERVALUE function in Excel is primarily designed to handle decimal numbers, it can also handle hexadecimal and octal numbers as long as they are represented using the appropriate prefix. The second argument of the function specifies the base of the input number.

What happens if I use the NUMBERVALUE function on text that cannot be converted to a number?

If you use the NUMBERVALUE function on text that cannot be converted to a number, Excel will return the #VALUE! error.

The #VALUE! error occurs when a formula or function in Excel encounters an argument or operand of the wrong data type. In the case of the NUMBERVALUE function, this typically means that the input text contains characters that are not valid numeric values.

Here are some examples of what happens when you use the NUMBERVALUE function on invalid text:

Example 1: Letters

Suppose you have the text “abc” in cell A1, and you try to convert it to a number using the following formula:

=NUMBERVALUE(A1)

Excel will return the #VALUE! error, because “abc” is not a valid numeric value.

Example 2: Dates

Suppose you have the text “01/01/2022” in cell A1, which represents a date in the format “mm/dd/yyyy”. If you try to convert this to a number using the following formula:

=NUMBERVALUE(A1)

Excel will also return the #VALUE! error, because dates are stored as serial numbers in Excel, and the NUMBERVALUE function cannot convert a date string to a numeric value directly.

Example 3: Numbers with special characters

Suppose you have the text “1,234.56” in cell A1, but your regional settings use “,” as the decimal separator. If you try to convert this to a number using the following formula:

=NUMBERVALUE(A1)

Excel will return the #VALUE! error, because the function expects a “.” (period) as the decimal separator by default.

In summary, if you use the NUMBERVALUE function on text that cannot be converted to a number, Excel will return the #VALUE! error. It’s important to ensure that the input text contains only valid numeric values, and that any special characters or formatting are handled correctly.

Is there a limit to the length of the text that can be converted by the NUMBERVALUE function?

Yes, there is a limit to the length of the text that can be converted by the NUMBERVALUE function in Excel. The maximum length of the input text depends on the version of Excel you are using.

In earlier versions of Excel (prior to Excel 2007), the maximum length of the input text was 255 characters. This means that if you tried to convert a longer text string using the NUMBERVALUE function, Excel would return the #VALUE! error.

However, starting with Excel 2007, this limit was increased to 32,767 characters. This allows you to convert much longer text strings to numbers, such as those that might be used in scientific or financial calculations.

Here are some examples of how to use the NUMBERVALUE function with long text strings:

Example 1: Converting a long number

Suppose you have the text value “12345678901234567890” in cell A1. To convert this to a number, you can use the following formula:

=NUMBERVALUE(A1)

Excel will convert the text to the corresponding numeric value, which is too large to display accurately in a cell.

Example 2: Converting a long scientific notation number

Suppose you have the text value “1.234567890123456789e+20” in cell A1, which represents a very large number in scientific notation. To convert this to a number, you can use the following formula:

=NUMBERVALUE(A1)

Excel will convert the text to the corresponding numeric value, which is also too large to display accurately in a cell.

It’s worth noting that while Excel can handle much longer text strings than before, there are still practical limits to the size of the data set that can be handled efficiently. Large data sets may require specialized tools or techniques to process effectively.

In summary, the NUMBERVALUE function in Excel can handle input text strings up to 32,767 characters in length, depending on the version of Excel you are using. This allows you to convert very long text strings to numeric values for scientific or financial calculations.

How does the NUMBERVALUE function handle negative numbers in text format?

The NUMBERVALUE function in Excel can handle negative numbers in text format, just like positive numbers. To convert a negative number in text format to a numeric value, simply include a minus sign (-) before the text value.

Here are some examples of how to use the NUMBERVALUE function with negative numbers:

Example 1: Basic usage

Suppose you have the text value “-1234” in cell A1, and you want to convert it to a negative number. You would use the following formula:

=NUMBERVALUE(A1)

This would return the numeric value -1234.

Example 2: Using a formula

You can also use a formula to create a negative text value, and then convert it using the NUMBERVALUE function. For example, if you have the number -5678 in cell A1, you can use the following formula to convert it:

=NUMBERVALUE("-" & ABS(A1))

The ABS function is used to convert the negative number to a positive number, and the “&” operator is used to concatenate the “-” (minus sign) with the positive number. The resulting string “-5678” is then converted to a numeric value using the NUMBERVALUE function.

Example 3: Specifying the decimal and group separators

You can also specify the decimal and group separators explicitly when converting negative numbers in text format. For example, if you have the text value “-1,234.56”, you can use the following formula to convert it:

=NUMBERVALUE("-1,234.56", ".", ",")

This tells Excel to use “.” as the decimal separator and “,” as the group separator, and to treat the input as a negative number. The function would return the numeric value -1234.56.

In summary, the NUMBERVALUE function in Excel handles negative numbers in text format by using a minus sign (-) before the text value. You can also use formulas to create negative text values, and specify decimal and group separators explicitly if needed.

Can I use the NUMBERVALUE function to convert numbers that are stored as text in a range of cells?

Yes, you can use the NUMBERVALUE function in Excel to convert numbers that are stored as text in a range of cells. This is useful when you have imported or copied data into Excel from another source, and the numbers are stored as text values.

To convert a range of text values to numeric values, you can use the following formula:

=NUMBERVALUE(text, [decimal_separator], [group_separator])

Here, instead of specifying a single cell reference as the argument for text, you would specify a range of cells using the appropriate syntax (e.g., “A1:A10”). The NUMBERVALUE function will then return an array of numeric values corresponding to the input text values.

Here is an example of how to use the NUMBERVALUE function to convert a range of text values to numeric values:

Suppose you have a range of cells with text values that represent numbers, like this:

To convert these text values to numeric values, you can use the following formula:

=NUMBERVALUE(A1:A3)

The function will convert each text value in the range to a numeric value, and return an array of results like this:

Note that since the function returns an array of results, you need to select the same number of cells in the output range as there are cells in the input range. You can do this by selecting the first cell in the output range, entering the formula, and then pressing “Ctrl+Shift+Enter” instead of just “Enter”. This will enter the formula as an array formula, and fill the selected cells with the results.

In summary, you can use the NUMBERVALUE function in Excel to convert numbers that are stored as text in a range of cells. This is a useful tool for working with imported or copied data that contains text values representing numbers.

Does the decimal separator used in the text affect the conversion performed by the NUMBERVALUE function?

Yes, the decimal separator used in the text can affect the conversion performed by the NUMBERVALUE function in Excel. The function assumes a default decimal separator based on your system’s regional settings, but you can also specify a different decimal separator if needed.

If the text value contains a decimal separator that is different from the default separator, you will need to specify the correct separator in the formula to ensure that the NUMBERVALUE function performs the conversion correctly.

Here are some examples of how the decimal separator used in the text can affect the conversion performed by the NUMBERVALUE function:

Example 1: Default decimal separator

Suppose you have the text value “123.45” in cell A1, and your system’s regional settings use “.” as the decimal separator. To convert this to a numeric value using the default decimal separator, you can use the following formula:

=NUMBERVALUE(A1)

This would return the numeric value 123.45.

Example 2: Different decimal separator

Suppose you have the text value “123,45” in cell A1, but your system’s regional settings use “.” as the decimal separator. To convert this to a numeric value, you can use the following formula:

=NUMBERVALUE(A1, ",", ".")

This tells Excel to use “,” as the decimal separator and “.” as the group separator. The function would return the numeric value 123.45.

Example 3: Multiple decimal separators

Suppose you have the text value “1,234.56.78” in cell A1, which contains multiple decimal separators. To convert this to a numeric value, you can use the following formula:

=NUMBERVALUE(SUBSTITUTE(A1, ".", "", LEN(A1)-LEN(SUBSTITUTE(A1, ".", ""))), ",", ".")

The SUBSTITUTE function is used to remove all but the last decimal separator in the text string. The LEN and SUBSTITUTE functions work together to find the position of the last decimal separator, and the resulting string “1234.5678” is then converted to a numeric value using the NUMBERVALUE function.

In summary, the decimal separator used in the text can affect the conversion performed by the NUMBERVALUE function in Excel. You can specify a different decimal separator in the formula if needed, or use formulas to manipulate the input text before converting it to a numeric value.

Are there any alternatives to the NUMBERVALUE function for converting text to numbers in Excel?

there are several alternatives to the NUMBERVALUE function for converting text to numbers in Excel, depending on the specific requirements of your task. Here are some common alternatives:

1. Value function: The VALUE function in Excel can be used to convert a text value to a number. Like the NUMBERVALUE function, it supports decimal and group separators. However, it does not support different numbering systems like hexadecimal or octal. The syntax for the VALUE function is:

=VALUE(text)

2. Multiplication by 1: You can also convert text to numbers in Excel by multiplying the text value by 1. This works because Excel automatically converts values that include mathematical operators (like “*” for multiplication) to numbers. For example, if you have the text value “123” in cell A1, you can convert it to a numeric value using the following formula:

=A1*1

This would return the numeric value 123.

3. Paste Special: If you have a range of cells with numeric values stored as text, you can use the Paste Special feature in Excel to convert them to true numbers. To do this, select the range of cells, right-click, and choose “Paste Special”. In the dialog box that appears, select “Values” and “Add”, then click OK. This will add 0 to each cell in the range, which forces Excel to treat the values as numbers.
4. Text to Columns: Another option for converting text to numbers in Excel is to use the Text to Columns feature. This allows you to split a single column of data into multiple columns based on a delimiter (e.g., a comma or space), and specify the data type for each column. To use Text to Columns, select the range of cells, go to the Data tab, and click “Text to Columns”. Follow the prompts in the wizard to specify the delimiter and data type for each column.

In summary, there are several alternatives to the NUMBERVALUE function for converting text to numbers in Excel, depending on the specific requirements of your task. The VALUE function, multiplication by 1, Paste Special, and Text to Columns are all useful tools for working with text values that represent numbers in Excel.

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