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Microsoft Excel
Display "Dot Leaders" in a Range of Cells

Description

Sometimes when you are reading a printed copy of a Microsoft Excel worksheet, it is difficult to follow the row labels across to the cell numbers.  You can assist the readers of your worksheets by creating "dot leaders" from the row labels to the numbers in the next column.

"Dot leaders" are a series of dots, such as ................ that leads to the adjacent column.

Follow the easy steps listed below to create a custom number format that displays "dot leaders" in a range of cells.

In the Worksheet

  • Select the cells that contain the row labels

    • In the example shown below, select cells A1 through A8


Before Formatting

Menu Bar

  • Click on the Format menu

  • Select the Cells command

    • NOTE:  you could right click over the selected cells and select Format Cells from the shortcut menu

Format Cells Dialog Box

  • Click on the Number tab

  • Select the Custom Category

  • In the Type box, input @*.

    • The at sign (@) displays any text in the cell

    • To repeat a character in a format, you type an asterisk (*) followed by the character to be repeated.  In this example, *. will include enough periods/dots (.) to fill the cell.

  • Click the OK button to close the dialog box.


Format Cells Dialog Box

  • Shown below is the sample worksheet after the custom formatting has been applied to the cells with the row labels.


After Formatting 


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Last modified: December 03, 2008