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Dbcs

Syntax:

DBCS(text)
  • text: The text string containing half-width (single-byte) characters that you want to convert to full-width (double-byte) characters.

Description:

The DBCS function in Excel converts half-width (single-byte) characters in a text string to full-width (double-byte) characters. This function is the inverse of the ASC function and is primarily designed for use with languages that support double-byte character sets (DBCS), such as Japanese, Chinese, and Korean. In DBCS languages, characters can be represented as either full-width (taking up more space) or half-width. For example, half-width characters like ABC will be converted to their full-width counterparts ＡＢＣ.

Examples:

  1. =DBCS("Hello")
    • Returns: Ｈｅｌｌｏ (The half-width characters Hello are converted to full-width.)
  2. =DBCS("12345")
    • Returns: １２３４５ (The half-width numbers 12345 are converted to full-width.)
  3. =DBCS("!#$%")
    • Returns: ！＃＄％ (Half-width punctuation is converted to its full-width equivalents.)

Notes:

  • The DBCS function does not affect full-width characters; they remain unchanged.
  • This function works specifically with DBCS languages, and its effects might not be apparent in locales that primarily use single-byte character sets.
  • The DBCS function is useful when formatting text for systems or applications that require full-width characters, such as certain East Asian typesetting and display contexts.
  • If no half-width characters exist in the input string, the original text is returned unchanged.
  • For converting full-width characters to their half-width (single-byte) versions, you can use the ASC function.
  • The DBCS function is equivalent to the JIS function in Excel. Both perform the same conversion.