Limits Per Cell Have Increased with Excel 3.0

Last reviewed: November 3, 1994
Article ID: Q69779

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 2.0, 2.1 and 3.0

Summary:

Microsoft Excel version 3.0 allows you to enter more elements per cell than Microsoft Excel 2.x.

For example, let's say you use numbers for elements and you try to enter a formula of the following form:

   =1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8+9+0+1....

In Microsoft Excel 2.x, you will get the "Formula is too long" error at the 64th number. In Microsoft Excel 3.0, this same message is generated at the 128th number.

More Information:

Page 269 of the "Microsoft Excel for Windows Reference Guide" for version 2.1x states that up to 255 characters can be used in a formula.

When dealing with formulas in Microsoft Excel, you can use numbers, references, text, and names. Each of these behaves differently with the Microsoft Excel formula parser.

You can type up to 255 characters in a cell as text. This text is not interpreted as a formula because the text is not preceded by an equal (=) sign.

The following illustrates the differences in limit sizes between versions 3.0 and 2.x of Microsoft Excel. These limits are measured per cell:

The maximum number of characters in any given cell on a spreadsheet is limited. For example, the following text typed in a cell on a spreadsheet takes up 13 characters:
```
      How do you do
```
In Microsoft Excel 3.0 the limit is 255 characters. In Microsoft Excel 2.x the limit is 255 characters.
The maximum number of elements is also limited. The elements are separated by a delimeter such as a plus sign (+). For example, the following numbers take up 3 elements:
```
      =11111+22222+33333
```
The limitations are:
```
      Microsoft Excel 3.0  128 elements
      Microsoft Excel 2.x   64 elements
```

Any "elements" beyond these limits produce the error message:

   Formula is too long

Any "characters" beyond this limit generate the error message:

   Text is too long

Note that the limits for elements in Microsoft Excel 3.0 have increased two-fold.

For more information, query on the following words:

   formula and limits

KBCategory: kbother
KBSubcategory:
Additional reference words: 2.0 2.00 2.01 2.1 2.10 3.0 3.00

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Last reviewed: November 3, 1994
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