overline in Excel

[Steve]

Is there any way to create an overbar over text in a text box in an Excel
drawing?

 

[Debra Dalgleish]

Before you type the character for which you want the overbar, change the
font to Symbol.
To create the bar, type the ` character (accent grave, may be above the
Tab key)
Then, stay in Symbol font, or switch to a different font, and type the
character that has the overbar.

 

[Bernard Liengme]

Wonderful! Why have you kept this a secret for so long <gr> ? I have seen
this question so many times. Will buy you a drink at the next Excel Users
Conf!
best wishes

 

[James Silverton]

Before you type the character for which you want the overbar,
change the font to Symbol.
To create the bar, type the ` character (accent grave, may be
above the Tab key)
Then, stay in Symbol font, or switch to a different font, and
type the character that has the overbar.

Interesting! A most unusual capability for a Microsoft font but
it only seems to work in an Excel text box. If you use it
elsewhere you only get an overlined Greek character from those
available in Symbol. The formula bar may well indicate the
desired character but that's not what I got!

For example, I tried to get a bar over an x. The overline
apppeared in Symbol font; I switched to Arial, typed x and got
an overlined lower case Greek xi while the Formula bar showed
`x (side by side as here).

 

[Bernard Liengme]

It works well in a cell, also

 

[James Silverton]

Hello, Bernard!
You wrote on Tue, 31 Oct 2006 10:16:52 -0400:

BL> It works well in a cell, also
BL> --
BL> Bernard V Liengme

By heck you are right! I was confused by not following thro' to
the end. Taking the case of the overlined x, `x appears in the
formula bar after switching from Symbol to Arial and overline xi
in the cell but, when ENTER, is pressed, you get overline x.! A
most remarkable discovery and it seems to work in Word too.

BL> message ??>> message ??>>> Before you type the character for which you want the
??>>> overbar, change the font to Symbol. To create the bar,
??>>> type the ` character (accent grave, may be above the Tab
??>>> key) Then, stay in Symbol font, or switch to a different
??>>> font, and type the character that has the overbar.
<<<<snipping my post>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.comcast.not

 

[James Silverton]

Hello, Bernard!
You wrote on Tue, 31 Oct 2006 09:47:58 -0400:

BL> Wonderful! Why have you kept this a secret for so long <gr>
BL> ? I have seen this question so many times. Will buy you a
BL> drink at the next Excel Users Conf!
BL> best wishes
BL> --
BL> Bernard V Liengme
BL> www.stfx.ca/people/bliengme
BL> remove caps from email

BL> message ??>> Before you type the character for which you want the
??>> overbar, change the font to Symbol. To create the bar,
??>> type the ` character (accent grave, may be above the Tab
??>> key) Then, stay in Symbol font, or switch to a different
??>> font, and type the character that has the overbar.
??>>

I wonder if the OP would consider posting this tip elsewhere?
I'd never heard of it before and I use Word a lot!
There are some problems in that the character is actually
(space)-overline but it is most useful.

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.comcast.not

 

[Debra Dalgleish]

I'm glad you like it! I've added it to the FAQs here:

http://www.contextures.com/xlfaqFun.html#bar

And thanks Bernard, I look forward to that free drink. <g>