Automatically Changing Keyboard Language in Microsoft Excel: Setting Defaults for Different Columns

Automatically Changing Keyboard Language in Microsoft Excel: Setting Defaults for Different Columns

Microsoft Excel is a powerful tool for data analysis and manipulation. One of the challenges of working with data in Excel is handling text input in different languages. In this article, we will explore how to automatically change the keyboard language in Microsoft Excel, and how to set different defaults for different columns.

Changing the Keyboard Language in Excel

To change the keyboard language in Excel, follow these steps:

1. Open Excel and go to the "File" menu.
2. Select "Options" from the menu.
3. In the Excel Options dialog box, select "Advanced" from the list on the left.
4. Scroll down to the "Editing options" section.
5. Under "Editing options", you will see a checkbox labeled "Use system separators". Clear this checkbox.
6. Next, locate the "Language" section.
7. Click the "Edit" button next to "Display language" and select the language you want to use.
8. Click "OK" to close the Excel Options dialog box.

Once you have changed the keyboard language in Excel, you can start typing in the new language. Excel will automatically recognize the language and format the text accordingly.

Setting Defaults for Different Columns

If you are working with data in multiple languages, you may want to set different defaults for different columns. For example, you may want to set the default language for column A to English, and the default language for column B to Persian. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Select the column you want to format.
2. Right-click the column and select "Format Cells" from the menu.
3. In the Format Cells dialog box, select the "Number" tab.
4. Under "Category", select "Text".
5. In the "Language" section, select the language you want to use as the default for the column.
6. Click "OK" to close the Format Cells dialog box.

Once you have set the default language for a column, Excel will automatically recognize text input in that language. If you want to change the default language for a column, simply repeat the steps above.

Example: Setting Different Default Languages for Columns B and C

Let's say you have a worksheet with data in two languages: English and Persian. You want to set the default language for column B to English, and the default language for column C to Persian. Here's how you can do it:

1. Select column B.
2. Right-click the column and select "Format Cells" from the menu.
3. In the Format Cells dialog box, select the "Number" tab.
4. Under "Category", select "Text".
5. In the "Language" section, select "English (United States)".
6. Click "OK" to close the Format Cells dialog box.
7. Select column C.
8. Right-click the column and select "Format Cells" from the menu.
9. In the Format Cells dialog box, select the "Number" tab.
10. Under "Category", select "Text".
11. In the "Language" section, select "Persian".
12. Click "OK" to close the Format Cells dialog box.

Now, when you type in column B, Excel will automatically recognize the text as English. When you type in column C, Excel will recognize the text as Persian.

Using Visual Basic to Set Default Languages

If you want to automate the process of setting default languages for different columns, you can use Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) ```vbnet Sub SetDefaultLanguage() ' Set the default language for column B to English Columns("B").Select With Selection .NumberFormat = "@" .TextToColumns Destination:=Range("B1"), DataType:=xlDelimited, _ TextQualifier:=xlDoubleQuote, ConsecutiveDelimiter:=False, Tab:=True, _ Semicolon:=False, Comma:=False, Space:=False, Other:=False .Language = xlEnglishUS End With ' Set the default language for column C to Persian Columns("C").Select With Selection .NumberFormat = "@" .TextToColumns Destination:=Range("C1"), DataType:=xlDelimited, _ TextQualifier:=xlDoubleQuote, ConsecutiveDelimiter:=False, Tab:=True, _ Semicolon:=False, Comma:=False, Space:=False, Other:=False .Language = xlPersian End With End Sub ```

In this article, we have explored how to automatically change the keyboard language in Microsoft Excel, and how to set different defaults for different columns. We have covered the following key concepts:

• How to change the keyboard language in Excel
• How to set default languages for different columns
• How to use Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) to automate the process of setting default languages

References

• Change the language and locale settings in Office 365
• Set language options in Excel
• VBA Language Function