When you select "Use preferences from User settings," the format for numbers depends on display settings for a computer's operating system. You can select a subset of display options to format number values in a column. When you select "Use preferences from Custom," you have more control over how numbers display.

• Decimal formatting displays numbers as they are entered; zeroes to the right of the decimal point are suppressed. For example, 6.00 displays as 6. You can specify a fixed number of decimal places to display (up to 15 places) or select varying to display a number as entered.
• Percent formatting displays numbers as a percentage. For example, .10 displays as 10%.
• Scientific formatting displays numbers using exponential notation; for example, 10,000 displays as 1.00E+04.
• Currency formatting displays values with a currency symbol and two digits after the decimal symbol; for example, $15.00. The currency symbol and thousands separator displayed are based by default on settings in your operating system. To override those settings, choose Custom in the "Preferences for display formatting" section. You can then specify formatting and display options such as a currency symbol and thousands separator.
• Bytes (K/M/G) formatting displays values as kilobytes (1024 bytes), megabytes (1024 kilobytes), gigabytes (1024 megabytes), or terabytes (1024 gigabytes), with the letter K, M, G, or T following the number. Kilobytes are displayed as whole numbers, and megabytes, gigabytes and terabytes are displayed with one decimal place. Values are rounded up or down, but are never less than 1K.

  Number	Display
  0.00	0K
  1000.00	1K
  1535.00	1K
  1536.00	2K
  2559.00	2K
  2560.00	3K
  1234567.00	1.2M
  1555555.00	1.5M
  122222222.00	116.6M
  1555555555.00	1.4G
  3666666666666.00	3.3T

• Select "Parentheses on negative numbers" to display negative numbers enclosed in parentheses; for example, display (5) instead of -5.
• Select "Punctuated at thousands" to display large numbers with the thousands separator; for example, 1,000 in English, or 1.000 in French.

Adding programming to columns
Setting styles for a standard view or folder
Generating column totals, averages, and percents
Formatting date and time columns
Enabling a column for instant messaging

Glossary