Let's say you want to create a fixed column of special characters to format a report or add periods to the end of a text column to provide a Tab leader similar to a table of contents. To repeat a character in a cell, use the REPT function.
Example
| Formula | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|
| =REPT(".",6) | Repeat a period (.) 6 times | ...... |
| =REPT("-",4) | Repeat a dash (-) 4 times | ---- |
The example may be easier to understand if you copy it to a blank worksheet.
Copy an example
Create a blank workbook or worksheet.
Select the example in the Help topic.
Note
Do not select the row or column headers.
!
Press CTRL+C.
In the worksheet, select cell A1, and press CTRL+V.
To switch between viewing the results and viewing the formulas that return the results, press CTRL+` (grave accent), or on the Formulas tab, in the Formula Auditing group, click the Show Formulas button.