How to use the CHAR function
Use the CHAR function to convert a number to the corresponding character. This is determined by your computer's character set.
Windows | ANSI |
Macintosh | Macintosh character set |
Table of Contents
- CHAR function Syntax
- CHAR function Arguments
- CHAR function - example
- How to convert comma delimiting numbers to a string of characters
- How to list all characters based on ANSI code
- How to identify a new line character in an Excel formula
- How to create a new line in an Excel formula
- How to show a new line in a cell (wrap text)
- How to create a tab in an Excel formula
- How to create superscript characters in an Excel formula
- Get Excel *.xlsx file
1. CHAR Function Syntax
CHAR(text)
2. CHAR Function Arguments
text | Required. The number for which you want the corresponding character. |
3. CHAR Function example
The image above shows how to convert a number to a character using the CHAR function.
Formula in cell D3:
Explaining formula
The CHAR function converts a number between 1 and 255 to a corresponding character.
CHAR(B3)
becomes
CHAR(65)
and returns "A".
The image above shows numbers and corresponding characters.
4. How to convert comma delimiting numbers to a string of characters
This example demonstrates a formula that converts a series of numbers to characters based on the ANSI character set. The TEXTSPLIT function is a new Excel 365 function.
Formula in cell D3:
Explaining formula
Step 1 - Split numbers using a comma as a delimiting character
The TEXTSPLIT function lets you split a string into an array across columns and rows based on delimiting characters.
TEXTSPLIT(Input_Text, col_delimiter, [row_delimiter], [Ignore_Empty])
TEXTSPLIT(B3, ",")
becomes
TEXTSPLIT("72,101,108,108,111,33", ",")
and returns
{"72","101","108","108","111","33"}.
There is no need to convert "text" numbers to regular numbers, the CHAR function accepts "text" numbers.
Step 2 - Convert numbers in array to characters
CHAR(TEXTSPLIT(B3, ","))
becomes
CHAR({"72","101","108","108","111","33"})
and returns
{"H","e","l","l","o","!"}
Step 3 - Join characters
The TEXTJOIN function allows you to combine text strings from multiple cell ranges and also use delimiting characters if you want.
TEXTJOIN(delimiter, ignore_empty, text1, [text2], ...)
TEXTJOIN(, , CHAR(TEXTSPLIT(B3, ",")))
becomes
TEXTJOIN(, , {"H","e","l","l","o","!"})
and returns "Hello!".
5. How to list all characters based on ANSI code
Number 65 to 90 correspond to A to Z. Number 97 to 122 correspond to a to z.
1 | 33 | ! | 65 | A | 97 | 129 | | 161 | 193 | Á | 225 | á | |
2 | 34 | " | 66 | B | 98 | 130 | ‚ | 162 | 194 | Â | 226 | â | |
3 | 35 | # | 67 | C | 99 | 131 | ƒ | 163 | 195 | Ã | 227 | ã | |
4 | 36 | $ | 68 | D | 100 | 132 | „ | 164 | 196 | Ä | 228 | ä | |
5 | 37 | % | 69 | E | 101 | 133 | … | 165 | 197 | Å | 229 | å | |
6 | 38 | & | 70 | F | 102 | 134 | † | 166 | 198 | Æ | 230 | æ | |
7 | 39 | ' | 71 | G | 103 | 135 | ‡ | 167 | 199 | Ç | 231 | ç | |
8 | 40 | ( | 72 | H | 104 | 136 | ˆ | 168 | 200 | È | 232 | è | |
9 | 41 | ) | 73 | I | 105 | 137 | ‰ | 169 | 201 | É | 233 | é | |
10 | 42 | * | 74 | J | 106 | 138 | Š | 170 | 202 | Ê | 234 | ê | |
11 | 43 | + | 75 | K | 107 | 139 | ‹ | 171 | 203 | Ë | 235 | ë | |
12 | 44 | , | 76 | L | 108 | 140 | Œ | 172 | 204 | Ì | 236 | ì | |
13 | 45 | - | 77 | M | 109 | 141 | | 173 | 205 | Í | 237 | í | |
14 | 46 | . | 78 | N | 110 | 142 | Ž | 174 | 206 | Î | 238 | î | |
15 | 47 | / | 79 | O | 111 | 143 | | 175 | 207 | Ï | 239 | ï | |
16 | 48 | 0 | 80 | P | 112 | 144 | | 176 | 208 | Ð | 240 | ð | |
17 | 49 | 1 | 81 | Q | 113 | 145 | ‘ | 177 | 209 | Ñ | 241 | ñ | |
18 | 50 | 2 | 82 | R | 114 | 146 | ’ | 178 | 210 | Ò | 242 | ò | |
19 | 51 | 3 | 83 | S | 115 | 147 | “ | 179 | 211 | Ó | 243 | ó | |
20 | 52 | 4 | 84 | T | 116 | 148 | ” | 180 | 212 | Ô | 244 | ô | |
21 | 53 | 5 | 85 | U | 117 | 149 | • | 181 | 213 | Õ | 245 | õ | |
22 | 54 | 6 | 86 | V | 118 | 150 | – | 182 | 214 | Ö | 246 | ö | |
23 | 55 | 7 | 87 | W | 119 | 151 | — | 183 | 215 | × | 247 | ÷ | |
24 | 56 | 8 | 88 | X | 120 | 152 | ˜ | 184 | 216 | Ø | 248 | ø | |
25 | 57 | 9 | 89 | Y | 121 | 153 | ™ | 185 | 217 | Ù | 249 | ù | |
26 | 58 | : | 90 | Z | 122 | 154 | š | 186 | 218 | Ú | 250 | ú | |
27 | 59 | ; | 91 | [ | 123 | 155 | › | 187 | 219 | Û | 251 | û | |
28 | 60 | < | 92 | \ | 124 | 156 | œ | 188 | 220 | Ü | 252 | ü | |
29 | 61 | = | 93 | ] | 125 | 157 | | 189 | 221 | Ý | 253 | ý | |
30 | 62 | > | 94 | ^ | 126 | 158 | ž | 190 | 222 | Þ | 254 | þ | |
31 | 63 | ? | 95 | _ | 127 | 159 | Ÿ | 191 | 223 | ß | 255 | ÿ | |
32 | 64 | @ | 96 | ` | 128 | 160 | 192 | 224 | à | 256 |
Here is how to create a table containing all characters returned from char using numbers 1 to 255 in Excel:
5.1 Explaining formula
Step 1 - Create numbers from 1 to 255
The SEQUENCE function creates a list of sequential numbers.
SEQUENCE(rows, [columns], [start], [step])
SEQUENCE(32, 8)
returns
{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8; 9, ... , 256}
Step 2 - Return characters
CHAR(SEQUENCE(32, 8))
returns the table above without the numbers.
6. How to identify a new line character in an Excel formula
The image above shows a formula that converts characters to ANSI code. Cell B3 contains a carriage return between 1 and 1. The number for a new line or carriage return is 10.
I used the following formula to identify the numbers for each character in cell B3.
Formula in cell C3:
You can use CHAR(10) to create a new line in a formula, see the next image below.
6.1 Explaining formula
Step 1 - Create an array
Cell B3 contains three characters. To extract each character we need an array containing numbers from 1 to 3.
The curly brackets and delimiting characters let you create an array containing constants.
{1,2,3}
Step 2 - Split text string
The MID function returns a substring from a string based on the starting position and the number of characters you want to extract.
MID(text, start_num, num_chars)
MID(B3,{1,2,3},1)
becomes
MID("1
1",{1,2,3},1)
and returns
{"1","
","1"}.
Step 3 - Calculate the number for each character
The CODE function returns a specific number for the first character of the text argument, determined by your computer's character set.
CODE(text)
CODE(MID(B3,{1,2,3},1))
becomes
CODE({"1","
","1"})
and returns {49, 10, 49}.
Step 4 - Join numbers
The TEXTJOIN function allows you to combine text strings from multiple cell ranges and also use delimiting characters.
TEXTJOIN(",",TRUE,CODE(MID(B3,{1,2,3},1)))
becomes
TEXTJOIN(",",TRUE,{49, 10, 49})
and returns 49,10,49.
7. How to create a new line in an Excel formula
The image above shows how to create a line break in a formula, cell E3 contains a formula that concatenates strings in cells B3 and C3 and inserts a line break in between.
Formula in cell E3:
7.1 Explaining formula
Step 1 - Create a new line
The following function and number 10 create a new line.
CHAR(10)
Step 2 - Concatenate text
The ampersand character concatenates strings in an Excel formula.
B3&CHAR(10)&C3
returns
John
Doe
8. How to show a new line in a cell (wrap text)
You need to allow the text to wrap in a cell, here is how to do that:
- Select the cell.
- Press CTRL + 1, and the "Format Cells" dialog box appears.
- Press with mouse on tab "Alignment, see the image above.
- Press with left mouse button on check box "Wrap text" to enable it.
- Press with left mouse button on OK button.
9. How to create a tab in an Excel formula
The picture above shows that the character is CHAR(9), however, the cell doesn't display the tab. Note that the formula bar shows the tab.
Formula in cell C3:
I am using the same formulas as in section 5 to identify the corresponding numbers for each character and concatenate tab characters with given strings.
Formula in cell E3:
8. How to create superscript characters in an Excel formula
The formula in cell B5 demonstrates how to use superscript characters, there are not that many you can use.
Formula in cell B5:
The CHAR function lets you use a couple of superscript characters see list below, and the UNICHAR function gives you more options.
174 | x® |
175 | x¯ |
176 | x° |
177 | x± |
178 | x² |
179 | x³ |
180 | x´ |
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Functions in this article
Functions in 'Text' category
The CHAR function function is one of many functions in the 'Text' category.
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