In this post, you will learn how to show, hide, expand and collapse the formula bar in Microsoft Excel. It is located top of the worksheet and labeled fx.
It allows you to duplicate an existing formula or input a new one. The formula bar is quite helpful since it allows you to examine the formula in its entirety without covering up the contents of nearby cells. When working on your spreadsheet, it might be useful to show, hide, expand, and collapse the formula bar.
Show or Hide the Formula Bar with the View Tab
When creating your reports or developing tools using formulas in your worksheets, the formula bar is a huge help. If the formula bar is missing in your Excel file.
Please follow the below steps to show or hide the formula bar in excel
- Go to View menu
- Check the Formula bar check box, if it is unchecked. – to show the formula bar in excel
To hide the formula bar just un-checked the Formula bar checkbox
Show or Hide the Formula Bar with Excel Options
Another way to show or hide the formula bar
- Go to the File menu
- Click Options – to popup Excel Options dialog box
- Choose Advanced from the left pane
- Checked the Show Formula bar
- Press OK
To hide the formula bar just un-checked the Show Formula bar checkbox in Excel Options dialog box
Show or Hide the Formula Bar with a Keyboard Shortcut
You can see the formula bar above the worksheet grid and immediately under the ribbon controls.
You can use either press Alt + W + VF or Alt + V + F on your keyboard to toggle to show or hide the Formula Bar setting in the View tab. Depending on the previous setting, either of these keyboard shortcuts can be used to show or hide the formula bar.
Expand or Collapse the Formula Bar with the Mouse
The default size of the formula bar has a limit of displaying one line. while you’re working with an extremely long formula, nested formula or data spread across numerous lines. The formula bar is easily enlarged as needed.
If you mouse over the formula bar’s bottom edge, you can see the change of mouse pointer into a two-sided arrow. It allows you to expand the formula bar to numerous lines.
By dragging the three dot situated between the name box and the formula bar to change the length of the formula bar.
Expand or Collapse the Formula Bar with the Ribbon Toggle
Suppose you have a text or formula more than one line in cell, and later you expanded to view it in the formula bar. You can use the ribbon toggle button to expand or collapse the resized formula bar.
Expand or Collapse the Formula Bar with a Keyboard Shortcut
In Excel, you have an alternate way to use the keyboard shortcut to expand or collapse the formula bar.
Use the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + U to Expand or Collapse the formula bar in excel.
Conclusions
Excel’s formula bar is a basic component. It’s possible to show, hide, expand, or collapse the formula bar for your excel application. You can enlarge it when you are working with larger formulas or texts. If you need additional space you can delete it on the worksheet.
These features are easily accessible from the ribbon or keyboard shortcut keys.
