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How to convert formula to text string in Excel?

Normally Microsoft Excel will show the calculated results when you enter formulas in cells. However, sometimes you may need to show only the formula in cell, such as =CONCATENATE("000", " - 2"), how will you deal with it? There are several ways to solve this problem:

Convert formula to text string with Find and Replace feature

Convert formula to text string with User Defined Function

Convert formula to text string or vice versa with only one click

Supposing you have a range of formulas in Column C, and you need to show the column with original formulas but not their calculated results as following screenshots shown:

doc-convert-formula-text-1-1 2 doc-convert-formula-text-2-2

To solve this job, the Find and Replace feature may help you, please do as follows:

1. Select the calculated result cells that you want to convert to text string.

2. Then press Ctrl + H keys together to open the Find and Replace dialog box, in the dialog, under the Replace tab, enter equal = sign into the Find what text box, and enter '= into the Replace with text box, see screenshot:

doc-convert-formula-text-3-3

3. Then click Replace All button, you can see all the calculated results are replaced with the original formula text strings, see screenshot:

doc-convert-formula-text-4-4

The following VBA code also can help you easily deal with it.

1. Hold down the Alt + F11 keys in Excel, and it opens the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window.

2. Click Insert > Module, and paste the following macro in the Module Window.

Function ShowF(Rng As Range)
ShowF = Rng.Formula
End Function

3. In a blank cell, such as Cell D2, enter a formula =ShowF(C2).

doc-convert-formula-text-5-5

4. Then click the Cell D2, and drag the Fill Handle to the range that you need.

doc-convert-formula-text-6-6

If you have Kutools for Excel, with its Convert Formula to Text function, you can change multiple formulas to text strings with only one click.

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After installing Kutools for Excel, please do as this:

1. Select the formulas that you want to convert.

2. Click Kutools > Content > Convert Formula to Text, and your selected formulas have been converted to text strings at once, see screenshot:

Tips: If you want to convert the formula text strings back to the calculated results, please just apply the Convert Text to Formula utility as following screenshot shown:

If you want to know more about this feature, please visit Convert Formula to Text.

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Comments (20)
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commet
commet
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Hello, could you please advise if it is possible to edit the text that is returned from formula? Is it even possible or rather ridiculous? :) e.g. I have VLOOKUP formula in column B, that returns text string based on value chosen in column A. I need to be able to edit the returned value in column B - have visible the returned text, not the formula, when I click on the cell.
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Andre
Andre
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A quick way to convert a bunch of cell formulas to text is using the Find/Replace dialogue box. 1. Select the cells containing the formulas. 2. Press Ctrl+H 3. Find what: = Replace with: '= 4. Replace all This same trick is also quite useful when you need to work with formulas and not have them change relatively when you're moving them around or transposing them.
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Malcolm
Malcolm     Andre
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I Replace-All = to '=, works well to show the formulas, Ctrl Z (UNDO) then undoes the change, and repeating CtrlZ CtrlY toggles the change back and forth, making it easy to confirm I notice all the formulas. My question is, how do I change them back later? When I try to replace '= with = then I get the message "...cannot find any data to replace."
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Malcolm
Malcolm     Andre
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This is almost perfect, but I suggest using a different character, not the single quote. Turns out Excel has no simple way to change the '= back to = (kb/124739 explains this surprising fact). Almost any other character will do, a double quote appears to work, i.e. " , or any string, e.g. XXX= Also, notice that repeatedly pressing CtrlZ and CtrlY after the replace all will toggle the formulas on and off (so to speak) making it easy to confirm you notice all the formulas. ($0.10)
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César Vega
César Vega
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From Peru, is exactly what I needed, thank you very much
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Hui
Hui
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thanks ! It helps me a lot ! but i also want to know the inverse one ! if there is a cell (text) '10+20' I want a cell to show the result 30 I tried Rng.value or Rng.calcultate but don't work , what should i do ?
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rjdv
rjdv
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=VALUE(LEFT(A33;2))+VALUE(RIGHT(A33;2))
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Andre
Andre
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Assuming your text function is in A1; 1. Create a text string elsewhere which includes the equals sign eg. =CONCATENATE("@=",A1) 2. This will give you @=10+20, which you can now copy (paste values) to wherever you want it. 3. Finally, simply replace the @= with = using Ctrl+H as above. It's three steps, but it avoids VBA and doesn't take long.
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Jim Bradshaw
Jim Bradshaw
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I am here because I have been trying to resolve a problem with file names. I have some 40 files with identical names except for the year 2 digits. I simply need to construct the file name (eg C:Docs\Research\...\[Year72.xlsx]Test!$B$10 ro retrieve the data out of that particular file cell B10. I can build the file name in the working workbook,and create the address (using Address), but cannot extract the data in that file cell using Indirect, as Indirect does not access closed files, and opening so many files is not an option. Have we got Microsoft or is there a workaround? as this requirement must be common. :
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Laura
Laura
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I need to copy the results from a column with a formula to another column but I want just the results copied not the formula. In other words, I have a column with addresses. I have created another column and using a formula I have removed the house number and now just see the street name. Now I need to copy those results (street names only) to another column in a different spreadsheet, but when I try to do this it only copies the formula which of course then gives me the #ref error because the starting data isn't available. Any suggestions?
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Ahmed
Ahmed
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I need to convert text from value to sort a large data. please help. For Example 115 gm (this is in shown as text) I need only 115 in next column to sort. Please reply help in this regards
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César
César     Ahmed
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[quote]I need to convert text from value to sort a large data. please help. For Example 115 gm (this is in shown as text) I need only 115 in next column to sort. Please reply help in this regardsBy Ahmed[/quote] 897/5000 Hi, if the numbers inside the text string are in correlative form, try this, in the formula bar type B1 (if the data column is in A1): = MID (A1, MIN (IFERROR (FIND ({0; 1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9}, A1), "")), COUNT (1: $ 98), 1))) And then press Ctrl + Shift + Enter because it is a matrix formula, ie at the beginning and end of the formula will appear {y}. Note that I use the comma (,), but it is likely that you must use the semicolon (;) to create both the array of digits and to separate the arguments of the function. I apologize if there is something wrong with the translation from Spanish, if it gives you an error in case I copy the formula in that language: = EXTRACT (A1, MIN (IF YOU FIND ({0; 1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9}, A1) , FILA ($ 1: $ 98), 1))) Original by Moisés Ortíz (https://exceltotal.com/extraer-numeros-de-una-celda-en-excel/)
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Ahmed
Ahmed
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i need to change my text which in column 115 gm to 115. how it is possible. need to change text in to value like 115 in next column.
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Jennifer
Jennifer     Ahmed
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Hi, if you use the text to column feature you can do this. highlight the column in question, click on text to column, step through the process. It will ask you what your delimiter is, if there is a space between the quantity and the measurement (115 gm) you can use the space as your delimiter. PS... add a column to the right of your data column just incase it does something wonky on you.
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Jennifer
Jennifer
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Hi, is there a short cut method to concatenate 230 cells in excel to and text string, or do I have to add each cell to the concatenate formula with at divider? Thanks so much!
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Ashok
Ashok     Jennifer
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Inserting the “concatenation operator” (& or &” “&) among 230 Excel cells can be done in MS Word. This method is good enough if the task is not repetitive and if a Procedure is not available. (1) Arrange all the 230 cell-references (the text of which is to be merged in to one cell) in single column or single row in a Table in the merging order (use Excel worksheet and paste in Word). (2) Select the table and merge cells (Table Tools > Layout > Merge Cells) to get multi-line single-column Table with paragraph mark at the end of each line except last line. (3) Replaces all paragraph marks with commas (Editing > Replace; Find what = ^p and Replace with = ,). (4) Convert table to text to get content of each cell separated by a comma in a single paragraph. (5) Replaces all commas with concatenation-operator or operators, & or &” “& as required (Editing > Replace; Find what = , and Replace with = & or &” “&). (6) Prefix “=” to the paragraph. Required formula is ready in text form. Copy and paste in Excel; it becomes a formula. (7) The same result can be achieved in MS Excel also through Editing > Fill > Justify but with limitations. (a) Width of merged text that can be displayed is equal to the width of cell where Justify is applied. Superfluous text is written in cells below as separate text. (b) Numbers are to be converted to text (Formulas > Text > TEXT(Value, Format_text). I am an Excel user only and I am sorry for my earlier inappropriate suggestion.
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Jenny T
Jenny T
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The Visual Basic editor option didn't work for me - kept returning errors about it needing to be the first row?
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Ashok
Ashok
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[quote name="Jennifer"]Hi, is there a short cut method to concatenate 230 cells in excel to and text string, or do I have to add each cell to the concatenate formula with at divider? Thanks so much! Converting the range of data into Table (Insert>Table) may help you. As and when a row of data is appended to and inserted in to an existing table, formulas and format of number in columns are applied to the new data also. File size may increase in Table mode. The Table may be changed to Range mode later (Table tools>Tools>convert to range to reduce file size if needed. Maintaining data in Table mode has advantages.
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Mark McC
Mark McC
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The find and replace facility is extremely useful, I didn't expect it to work when showing formulae instead of result. Thanks
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Siffiee
Siffiee
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How do I convert the non matched value retrieved from vlookup into text??
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