copy format symbol?

[peri1224]

For copying cell content into an other cell one can use = in the receiving cell.
Is there an equivalent symbol that will only copy the formatting into the receiving cell, without using format painter?
Can complete formatting instructions for each cell be seen somewhere, similar to the data in the formula bar?

[rwgrietveld]

Interesting thought.

Can't see that this is done without VBA.
Textwise like interior.colorindex = 35 would be easy
But I guess you would like to see the well known icon of the menubar with the current colout in it. Not impossible, but that would be a real project.

For now copying a format is done the 'normal' way with paste special, formats only.

Edit: Thinking again: Cell formatting settings are quite extensive.

[peri1224]

Cell formatting settings are quite extensive.

Exactly. That's why there should be a way to inspect them, per cell or per range. For example in a place like an expanded formula bar, showing every single setting that is not default formatting.
But it appears there is currently no way to see these settings.

[shg]

There are XL4 macros that well get you close, or you could use a UDF:

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e.g., =CellForma(A1)

Changing the format of a cell does not induce downstream calculation, so you'd need to do Ctrl+Alt+F9 to get the formulas to recalculate.

[rwgrietveld]

shg,

That's a start (small typo in CellFormat(A1)), but showing all properties that are not default in some sort of additional toolbar ... ?

We could show a list in a UserForm?

By

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instead of

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we could save these settings and apply these later to another cell.

[shg]

You could add a textbox to the userform in the Showbinary function posted at http://www.excelforum.com/tips-and-t...sonal-xls.html

[rwgrietveld]

Peri,

How's your programming skills? It will be a big project and I do not see why you would go into all that trouble? You might ask excel to check it all, but your eye does that instantly and if you are not certain, press CTRL+1.

[peri1224]

Thanks for your efforts. But you guys seem to be advanced mechanics and I'm just a driver. Consequently I don't have a clue what you are talking about. Was just thinking it would be nice to have a view or listing of the formats. But to make that possible is for mechanics, not for me.
Display Formats is something MS should have done long ago.

[shg]

If you press Ctrl+1, or do Format > Cells, you can see all of the static formatting applied to a cell.

If you do Format > Conditionaly Formatting, you'll see the conditional formats.

[peri1224]

Yes, you can ultimately figure out the entire cell formatting. But Format Cells will not show all formats at one glance. The formula bar does show the entire cell content at one glance. Something similar should be available for formatting, even if that can contain quite extensive information.

[rwgrietveld]

Peri

Still an interesting thought if applied only to those settings that are not default. Like I said. I'll keep the thought but not the work as one needs to check > 100 settings.

[shg]

I think the fact that there is no such utility says not many people perceive the need.

[T.J. Lanza]

It doesn't look like anybody has asked the counter-question...

"What do you plan to do with the information, once you have it?"