Parentheses for negative numbers in Excel 2011

Same here.

I also have the same problem that I cannot find the bracket for negative number and I am using Yosemite!

This works for me... choose Currency 2 or Currency 3 from the Format menu in the ribbon. Note that it's also possible to edit the format for the Currency cell style. You get there by right-click (ctrl-click) and choose Modify.

Hope this helps!

I don't seem to have that option. I have a CURRENCY and CURRENCY [0] in that ribbon. And neither work. And when I try to modify like you said I just get back to the same formatting options, none of which have negative numbers in a parentheses.

The best I can do it cut and special paste formatting from an older spreadsheet that does have the parentheses.

Your "Currency 2" must be a saved style from before the problem arose in Yosemite, so your solve is acting in a way like my cut and paste option.

Sorry to say that with the new Office 2016 for Mac the issue remains. I just installed the preview version of the new Office. It appears no one wants or cannot bring this feature back.

+1 Same issue for me.

I am based in the UK and have experienced this problem for ages, even before Yoselmite.

When I visit the US from time to time and go to an Apple store, I have looked and saw that the negative brackets worked.

However, under UK language, it has never worked.

Seems we are stuck with this problem now.

For me, this is definetely an OSX issue not Microsoft

I have same issue. Waiting for resolution...

Thanks for the custom codes - it works, but it's annoying to have to use it.

Same issue using the 2016 Preview. I found a support article for the Windows version on the same problem which says its when your computer is set up to a non-English language. So I tried switching from English to English U.S. but that didn't work.

Even if it is an Apple problem, it seems like MS could fix this quiet easily. Going to send it as a feedback problem.

Thanks for sharing this work-around. It seems so easy once you see it, but I would never have thought of it on my own.

I just updated to OS 10.10.3 from 10.10.2. The problem is still there. This is extremely inconvenient for accountants and finance people.

Another couple alternatives for now:

1. After you do the custom format for the whole sheet, you can save it as a template in Excel. Then just use this "customized" template to create new excel file.

2. You can also set the custom format with other formatting attributes as a Style in this customized template, so it is there when you want to format new sheets in the same file.

So a few of the steps included in this thread and a microsoft link have allowed me to replicate and create a "quick button" in Mac 2011 Office so I don't have to copy the formula into custom constantly and it's always there for new excel documents.

OK - "Custom number" formula is $* #,##0;[Red]$* (#,##0) This will give you a number format that looks like the numbers in my screen shot below in columns H & I.

I applied that "custom" number format to the numbers then selected it, and clicked over to the format area, next to the numbers area. Towards the bottom there's the little down triangle, then I clicked on new cell style. Since I had the cell I had done "custom" to already selected, all of the info was accurate, so I just named it what I wanted (Accounting) and saved it. Now I just click on accounting in the format section instead of the accounting in the numbers section.

Next, i deleted that cell with the numbers in so essentially i had a document that looked exactly like a "new" document minus the fact that I now have the accounting option under format. Now, if you stop here, the accounting format will not come back on your next new document.... soooo you have to create an .xltx document like the link below walks you thorugh. After doing every step in that support page, every "new" excel document opens using my altered template and has the "accounting" button how it should be always there at the top under the format section. I did copy and paste the support section below in case that page disappears - which microsoft is wont to do.

https://support.office.com/en-gb/article/Customize-how-Excel-opens-workbooks-and -sheets-8f3c2396-3883-4e3e-a668-8254aeff…

Use a custom template for all new workbooks

When Excel opens a new workbook, the new file is created from a template called Workbook. To use a custom template, you must replace the default Workbook template with your own.

1. Open the template that you want to use as the new default template.
2. On the Excel menu, click File, and then click Save As.
3. In the Save As box, type:Workbook
4. Use the column browser to select Applications/Microsoft Office 2011/Office/Startup/Excel, and then clickSave.
5. In the Finder, open Applications/Microsoft Office 2011/Office/Startup/Excel.
6. Select the Workbook file, and on the Action pop-up menu , click Get Info.
7. On the Name & Extension pane, in the box containing the file name, select the .xltx portion of the file name, press DELETE, and then press RETURN.The "Are you sure you want to remove the extension '.xltx'?" message is displayed.
8. Click Remove.NOTE The file extension must be removed for Excel to recognize the new version of the Workbook template.

I converted to Yosemite a couple of weeks ago. The red parentheses were there until I ran the Microsoft option yesterday. I was able to bring back the parenthesis using the Custom option and selecting the option in parenthesis, and then highlighting the column in Red. However, the option for parenthesis isn't always there. Sometimes in a blank cell Custom gets me just 4 formats. If I type in the negative #, then search for Custom, I will get the parenthesis.

As someone that works with spreadsheets all day long, I am disgusted. Absolutely unbelievable that Microsoft would let this happen without fixing it. How can I produce a professional product - the negative sign does not align the #'s. 👿 Fortunately, (or sadly), I have a Windows computer I hang onto just for stuff like this.

Update - I have a Mac Air with Bootcamp. I have this same problem with Open Office's spreadsheet on Windows 8 on the mac. So this must be a Yosemite problem. Really surprised I would have this on Windows 8 also. I read on other forums that all spreadsheet programs are having this problem.

Apple does not want to enter into the Finance/accounting market; that is obvious.