cxcscmu/skilllearnbench/excel-formatting-and-units

excel-formatting-and-units

Handling percentages, rounding, and preserving workbook styles. Use this skill whenever a task requires specific output formats like decimal rounding or percentage conversions without changing existing workbook formatting.

Displaying Percentages as Whole Numbers

If the user requests a result to be displayed as 12.3 for 12.3%:

• Formula: =(Raw_Calculation) * 100
• Combined with rounding: =ROUND((Raw_Calculation) * 100, 1)

Preserving Workbook Formatting

When updating cells with new formulas, it's critical to maintain the existing visual style:

• Style Overwrite: Avoid any operations that replace cell styles (colors, borders, fonts).
• Data Insertion: Only modify the cell value or formula property, not the entire cell object.
• Excel Colors: Use industry standards (Blue for inputs, Black for formulas) if the template is empty, but always follow the existing pattern first.

Working with Specific Cell Ranges

When the user specifies a range (e.g., H12:L17), ensure every cell in that range is correctly populated with the intended logic.

• Verify the start and end of the range.
• Use consistent relative/absolute references for easier formula application.