This article explains how to replace the comma symbol with the period symbol using Microsoft Excel. Performing the replacement manually would be a long and tedious operation. This process is necessary when you need to share Excel worksheets with users who live or work in countries that use the point as a decimal separator and not the comma, as is the case in Italy. Fortunately, this change can be done quickly and easily by taking advantage of the features provided by Excel.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Using the Find and Replace Tool
Step 1. Open the Excel sheet you need to edit
Search for it on your desktop or in the folder where it's stored, then double-click the corresponding file icon to open it in Excel.
Step 2. Click the Find and Select button
It is one of the options displayed in the "Edit" group of the Home tab of the Excel ribbon. It is characterized by the word "Find and Replace" and an icon representing a magnifying glass or binoculars, depending on the version of Excel in use.
Step 3. Click on the Replace option of the drop-down menu that appeared
The voice Replace is the second of the drop-down menu that appeared after clicking on the "Find and select" button. It features an icon depicting the letter "b", an arrow and the letter "c".
Step 4. Fill in the fields to perform automatic replacement of values
A dialog box with two text fields will appear: "Find" and "Replace with". In the first field you will have to type the text to search for, in this case the comma symbol (,). In the "Replace with" field you will need to enter the period symbol (.).
Step 5. Click the Replace All button
In this way all the commas present in the cells of the Excel sheet under examination will be automatically replaced with a period.
Method 2 of 2: Change the Decimal Separator of Numeric Values
Step 1. Open the Excel sheet you need to edit
Look for it on your desktop or in the folder where it's stored, then double-click the corresponding file icon to open it in Excel.
Step 2. Click on the File menu located in the upper left corner of the window
The menu File it is always the first ribbon option of any product in the Microsoft Office suite of programs. It is located in the upper left corner of the Excel window.
Step 3. Click on the Options item located in the lower left corner of the "File" menu
Along the left side of the appeared window is a series of tabs placed on a green background. At the bottom of this panel you will find the entry Options.
Step 4. Click on the Advanced tab of the left panel of the "Excel Options" window that appeared
The board Advanced is placed under the heading Tongue or Accessibility, depending on the version of Excel you are using.
Step 5. Uncheck the Use system separators checkbox
It is located at the bottom of the section Editing options. This check button should be checked by default in Excel, so click on it with the mouse to deselect it.
Step 6. Change the values displayed in the Decimal separator fields And Thousand separator, if needed.
Based on the predefined separators used by the standard number system of the country you live in, a comma should be present within one of the indicated fields. Replace the comma with a period and click on the "OK" button located at the bottom of the "Excel Options" window to save the new settings.
