This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Converting a Formula to a Value
If a cell contains a formula whose value will never change, you can convert the formula to that value. This speeds up large worksheet recalculations and it frees up memory for your worksheet because values use much less memory than formulas do. For example, you might have formulas in part of your worksheet that use values from a previous fiscal year. Because these numbers aren't likely to change, you can safely convert the formulas to their values. To do this, follow these steps:
- Select the cell containing the formula you want to convert.
- Double-click the cell or press F2 to activate in-cell editing.
- Press F9. The formula changes to its value.
- Press Enter or click the Enter button. Excel changes the cell to the value.
You'll often need to use the result of a formula in several places. If a formula is in cell C5, for example, you can display its result in other cells by entering =C5 in each of the cells. This is the best method if you think the formula result might change because, if it does, Excel updates the other cells automatically. However, if you're sure that the result won't change, you can copy only the value of the formula into the other cells. Use the following procedure to do this:
- Select the cell that contains the formula.
- Copy the cell.
- Select the cell or cells to which you want to copy the value.
- Choose Home, display the Paste list, and then choose Paste Values. Excel pastes the cell's value to each cell you selected.
Another method (available in Excel 2003 and later) is to copy the cell, paste it into the destination, drop down the Paste Options list, and then choose Values Only.