Data Bars, Colour Scales and Icon Sets

Three conditional formats turn numbers into pictures inside the cells:

Data bars draw a bar in each cell, longer for bigger values.
Colour scales shade cells from one colour to another (low to high).
Icon sets add arrows, flags or traffic lights by band.

All three come from the same recipe: scale the value, then show it. REPT("#", n) repeats a symbol n times, which gives a bar in plain text; IF or IFS chooses an icon. The example builds data bars and arrow icons from the numbers.

In Excel: select the numbers, choose Conditional Formatting on the Home tab, then Data Bars, Color Scales or Icon Sets.

A solid green data bar drawn inside each Units cell, longer for bigger values

Exampleexcel

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Quick check

What does a data bar show?

The size of the value as a bar in the cellThe date of the valueThe formula used

Your turn: write the code

Draw a text bar for each value in A2:A4 in B2:B4: one * for every 10 (use REPT and ROUND).

Finish the quick check (and any code exercise) to complete this lesson, or mark it done yourself.

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