Excel 365 for Windows and web have a different font for the formula bar. The monospace font should be easier to read and understand.
For as long as there’s been Excel, formulas have been shown in a proportional font. Probably to fit as much text into the available screen space. Now screens are larger and have better resolution, it makes sense to use a monospace font instead.
A fixed or monospace font uses the same amount of horizontal space for each character. That makes it easier to see little details in a formula like a fullstop/period instead of a comma.
Here’s a simple formula in Excel 2016.
And the same formula in Excel 365.
Microsoft’s example is more complicated but makes the same point.
This change happens automatically, there’s no option to turn monospace fonts on/off.
The formula bar font appears to be Consolas.
It’s rolling out to Excel 365 for Windows and now Excel on the web as well. No word on Excel for Mac but it can only be a matter of time.
Another change to the formula bar is Value Preview is coming to Excel formulas
It’s about time – easy checkboxes coming to Excel
Safely import text into Excel without Mistakes
Better, searchable drop-down lists in Excel
