Content too wide for column - how to show all of it, not formulas that create it?

[akr]

My worksheet has many columns, so I keep them narrow to see many of them at a time. They are wide enough to see most entries completely, but sometimes content is wider. Like a column for telephone number, but some persons have three of them, so I put them one after the other in the same column, but only the first one is visible and a small part of the second one.
I’m used to make the hidden part visible by clicking the cell - then I can see all three telephone numbers in the edit line above. That works easyly and intuitively in this context.

This method stops working as soon as the cell contains a formula. The edit line shows the formula, not my telephone numbers.

Any easy way to view the entire content anyway?

I know about paste special, but it doesn’t help here - I don’t want to copy-and-paste each time I want to see a cell’s complete content.

Thanks!
akr

[fpy]

maybe first Where is the Wrap Text option? - #2 by Regina

then also Text to Columns

and for formulas, you may also consider inserting some “\n” thru REGEX()

[akr]

First of all, thank you for your answer. It pushes me to make my thinking a bit wider in this case. Initially, I didn’t want to change the spreadsheet’s appearance. Just find a way to make the whole content visible on a click or a key press. And of course - not via a macro, because the spread sheet is generated via perl Spreadsheet::WriteExcel, which doesn’t support macros. And I didn’nt find any perl module that can generate macros in this context.

Well, because I want to save screen space, I didn’t consider using more than one line. So I didn’t think of Wrap Text nor “\n”. But, it only applies, when there is more content - this is a valid option.

Text to Columns is new to me, I never came across this functionality. And, after reading the document you linked to, I see it won’t help - it overwrites adjacent cells.

Still a “click” or “press key (combination)” would be even better.

[fpy]

@akr

via a macro

this macro could be installed at user or application level.

@akr

perl

LO is more python friendly

@akr

a formula

you can change the column width, then Ctrl-Z when done.

[Steph1]

You can press F2, which puts the cell in edit mode, then F9, which evaluates the formula and shows the cell value in a yellow rectangle. To quit this edit mode, press twice the ESC key.

[LeroyG]

@akr

Text to Columns

@akr

it overwrites adjacent cells

Not necessarlly.
Unmark comma and space, and look at the preview.
Share a sample of the cell content (anonymize replacing all numbers by 1).