This actually applies to any character that you want to display in Excel that is in the Unicode character set. Microsoft gave us functions for UNICODE and UNICHAR. It is not intuitive, but you have to use UNICHAR to solve this.
However, the websites showing the unicode are often showing the number in Hex, so you have to use HEX2DEC before passing the value into UNICODE.
Table of Contents
(0:00) What is gamma and beta
(0:13) Results of googling
(0:32) History of CODE and CHAR
(0:54) UNICODE isn't it
(1:22) UNICHAR of HEX2DEC
(1:51) Displaying Beta in Excel
(2:21) ESPN Wrap up
(2:59) Retrieve Webinar
(3:30) Episode 2500 ideas?
However, the websites showing the unicode are often showing the number in Hex, so you have to use HEX2DEC before passing the value into UNICODE.
Table of Contents
(0:00) What is gamma and beta
(0:13) Results of googling
(0:32) History of CODE and CHAR
(0:54) UNICODE isn't it
(1:22) UNICHAR of HEX2DEC
(1:51) Displaying Beta in Excel
(2:21) ESPN Wrap up
(2:59) Retrieve Webinar
(3:30) Episode 2500 ideas?
Transcript of the video:
Learn Excel from MrExcel podcast, episode 2497. "How do we do display gamma and beta symbols in Excel?" All right, great question sent in how to display gamma and beta.
I had to go look it up, they're mathematical functions, right?
So I knew that the Unicode is going to be the key to this.
So Google Unicode gamma, we end up at this page that tells us that it's U+03B3.
But what do we do with that? Two functions in Excel.
One that sounds like it'll solve your problem called Unicode, but that's not it.
These functions are based on old functions in Excel called CODe and CHAR, C-H-A-R.
So if you would ask for equal code of A, it tells you that the as the ASCII code is 65.
You have to use the other one, the CHAR function, then it would give me the CHAR of 66 to get the B.
UNICODE and UNICHAR work the exact same way.
So if you try and do an equal Unicode of this 03B3, it's not what you want at all, all right?
And then it's not so simple as equal unit care of 03B3 in quotes.
That gives you a value error because this number, 03B3 is HEXA decimal. And Excel is expecting a decimal number there.
Every website is going to show you the HEXA decimal numbers, very frustrating.
So the horrible formula that you're going to use out here is first on the inside, you're going to use HEX2DEC, that converts a HEXA decimal number to a decimal number.
There we are.
And then send that into the UNICHAR and you get the right answer.
What is 03B3 in decimal? It's 947.
So I guess if you wanted to memorize this equal unit, CHAR of 947.
The beta symbol is 03B2, which is 946.
So there again, you're either going to use equal unit care, CHAR of 946 to get the beta.
Or if you can't remember that, UNICHAR of the HEX2DEC of 03B2 close, close. All right?
Both pretty horrible, all right?
But if you're creating gamma and beta all the time, maybe that's the way to go. All right.
oh man, did you see it on ESPN?
It was crazy that 30 minute Excel competition generated so much news, OS was on the radio twice in England.
I think the Times Radio and the BBC, I was on the radio twice in Australia.
First in Sydney, and then a 15 minute segment out in Perth.
It was great fun and if for some reason you're someplace where you don't have ESPN and you can't get it, don't tell anyone, but click that eye in the top right hand corner and you might find a rogue version of the event if you want to watch it.
Check this out, I have a new two hour live webinar coming.
This is on the retrieve platform, I have a lot of recorded videos out there.
I'm going to try something new with Live.
You can come in, you can ask questions, you'll have access to the recording forever.
The recording will have a transcript, so it'll be easy to go back and find things. And if this works, we'll do it all the time.
So Mr.
Excel Presents: What's New in Excel, a live class, August 18th, 2022 from 12:00 p.m. To 2:00 p.m., New York time.
You'll have to figure out where you are.
Otherwise click that eye in the top right hand corner for more about that. Also, hey, we're at 2497.
That means that three episodes from now is 2500. What should I do?
I don't just want it to be some boring video about gamma and beta for God's sakes.
So if you have any ideas of what to do special for 2500, let me know.
All right. well, Hey, I want to thank you for stopping by.
We'll see you next time for another netcast from MrExcel.
I had to go look it up, they're mathematical functions, right?
So I knew that the Unicode is going to be the key to this.
So Google Unicode gamma, we end up at this page that tells us that it's U+03B3.
But what do we do with that? Two functions in Excel.
One that sounds like it'll solve your problem called Unicode, but that's not it.
These functions are based on old functions in Excel called CODe and CHAR, C-H-A-R.
So if you would ask for equal code of A, it tells you that the as the ASCII code is 65.
You have to use the other one, the CHAR function, then it would give me the CHAR of 66 to get the B.
UNICODE and UNICHAR work the exact same way.
So if you try and do an equal Unicode of this 03B3, it's not what you want at all, all right?
And then it's not so simple as equal unit care of 03B3 in quotes.
That gives you a value error because this number, 03B3 is HEXA decimal. And Excel is expecting a decimal number there.
Every website is going to show you the HEXA decimal numbers, very frustrating.
So the horrible formula that you're going to use out here is first on the inside, you're going to use HEX2DEC, that converts a HEXA decimal number to a decimal number.
There we are.
And then send that into the UNICHAR and you get the right answer.
What is 03B3 in decimal? It's 947.
So I guess if you wanted to memorize this equal unit, CHAR of 947.
The beta symbol is 03B2, which is 946.
So there again, you're either going to use equal unit care, CHAR of 946 to get the beta.
Or if you can't remember that, UNICHAR of the HEX2DEC of 03B2 close, close. All right?
Both pretty horrible, all right?
But if you're creating gamma and beta all the time, maybe that's the way to go. All right.
oh man, did you see it on ESPN?
It was crazy that 30 minute Excel competition generated so much news, OS was on the radio twice in England.
I think the Times Radio and the BBC, I was on the radio twice in Australia.
First in Sydney, and then a 15 minute segment out in Perth.
It was great fun and if for some reason you're someplace where you don't have ESPN and you can't get it, don't tell anyone, but click that eye in the top right hand corner and you might find a rogue version of the event if you want to watch it.
Check this out, I have a new two hour live webinar coming.
This is on the retrieve platform, I have a lot of recorded videos out there.
I'm going to try something new with Live.
You can come in, you can ask questions, you'll have access to the recording forever.
The recording will have a transcript, so it'll be easy to go back and find things. And if this works, we'll do it all the time.
So Mr.
Excel Presents: What's New in Excel, a live class, August 18th, 2022 from 12:00 p.m. To 2:00 p.m., New York time.
You'll have to figure out where you are.
Otherwise click that eye in the top right hand corner for more about that. Also, hey, we're at 2497.
That means that three episodes from now is 2500. What should I do?
I don't just want it to be some boring video about gamma and beta for God's sakes.
So if you have any ideas of what to do special for 2500, let me know.
All right. well, Hey, I want to thank you for stopping by.
We'll see you next time for another netcast from MrExcel.
