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CHAR in PlanMaker 2026: Convert ANSI Codes to Characters

Text Beginner SoftMaker PlanMaker 2026

Use PlanMaker CHAR to turn ANSI codes into text with reproducible examples, error limits, and Excel differences.

Verification status: Official documentation referenced; example outcomes independently reasoned or arithmetically checked where stated. Not executed in SoftMaker PlanMaker 2026. How formula examples are checked

Quick answer: Use =CHAR(65) to return the letter A. CHAR changes a numeric ANSI character code into one text character, which is useful for constructing separators, printable labels, and checking imported character data. SoftMaker’s PlanMaker 2026 reference explicitly requires a code of at least 10. This is not the same documented accepted range as Microsoft Excel’s CHAR function. [S1, S4]

Official syntax, types, and defaults

=CHAR(Number)
Argument Required? Type and meaning Default
Number Yes Numeric ANSI character code. PlanMaker documents that Number must be at least 10. None

The English manual spells the function name CHAR. Its single argument means that the usual comma/semicolon argument-separator difference between locales is irrelevant for the examples on this page. Region-specific number entry, formula-name localization, installed character set, and font rendering should be checked in the actual installation. SoftMaker’s cited English manuals do not establish an upper limit, fractional-number handling or exact error codes for invalid inputs; do not assume Excel’s constraints apply. [S1, S2, S3]

Practice sheet: turn character codes into readable labels

Open an empty PlanMaker sheet. Enter ANSI code in A1, Formula in B1, and Expected display in C1. Type the numbers and formulas below. The expected displays are independently computed for the common printable ASCII subset; they are not screenshots or results from an installed copy of PlanMaker.

Cell A Number entered Formula in B Expected visible text in C
A2 65 =CHAR(A2) A
A3 32 =CHAR(A3) A single space (can look blank)
A4 33 =CHAR(A4) !
A5 48 =CHAR(A5) 0 (text character, not numeric zero)
A6 90 =CHAR(A6) Z
A7 124 =CHAR(A7) | (vertical bar)

Here the formulas go in B2:B7; column C describes what you should see, rather than requiring you to type the result manually. For A3, a cell can appear blank while still containing a space character. As a check, in D3 enter =LEN(B3); the expected result is 1, not zero. LEN is documented separately, but this result still needs native confirmation for this installation. [S1, S5]

Step-by-step check

  1. Select B2 and type =CHAR(A2); press Enter. Expected: A because code 65 denotes A in the common ASCII subset.
  2. Copy B2 down to B7 so its relative A-reference updates by row.
  3. Select B3 and notice that the result may visually resemble an empty cell. It represents one space, not a null string; use =LEN(B3) to check its length.
  4. Select B5 and observe the character 0. If your workflow needs the number zero, do not mistake this text for a calculated numeric value.

The four examples CHAR(65), CHAR(32), CHAR(33) and CHAR(CODE("X")) are also explicitly illustrated in SoftMaker’s 2026 reference. [S1]

Advanced examples

1. Insert one or more characters without typing them directly

=CHAR(65)&CHAR(66)&CHAR(67)

Expected: ABC. Independent calculation maps printable character codes 65, 66, and 67 to A, B, and C. The & operator concatenates the returned characters; this precise expression is a proposed tutorial example, not a claimed SoftMaker documentation example.

2. Make a space visible while diagnosing imports

="["&CHAR(32)&"]"

3. Round-trip a common character through CODE

=CHAR(CODE("X"))

Expected: X, an example specifically confirmed in SoftMaker’s 2026 manual. CODE returns the code for the first character and CHAR maps it back. Restrict this demonstration to ordinary printable characters; do not infer lossless round-tripping for arbitrary Unicode or platform-specific extended codes. [S1, S6]

Error cases and troubleshooting

Symptom Check Evidence / limit
A formula such as =CHAR(9) does not produce the wanted character SoftMaker specifies Number at least 10. Do not use 9 as a documented valid PlanMaker CHAR input. The exact PlanMaker error marker below 10 has not been native-tested. [S1]
A space looks like a blank cell Try =LEN(CHAR(32)); expected character count is 1. Ordinary printable-ASCII and independent length check; native execution has not been verified. [S1, S5]
Symbols change after switching platforms Verify the source code page/character set, font and file-import encoding. ANSI-based functions should not be assumed to map all extended characters identically. [S1, S4]
A number appears as a character =CHAR(48) is text "0", not a numeric result of zero. Independent printable-ASCII check.
Noninteger, negative, out-of-range or special codes Validate inputs before producing the label. The cited PlanMaker entry does not specify upper bounds, rounding of fractional inputs or precise errors; requires native investigation. [S1]
Output is not preserved after Excel/ODS interchange Retest imported formulas and cell types in the destination application. Microsoft documents a different numeric range for Excel CHAR; no interchange equivalence is asserted. [S4]

PlanMaker versions, platforms, locales and Excel compatibility

  • PlanMaker 2026/NX: The 2026 English manual (printed p. 559, PDF p. 559) documents CHAR(Number), Number at least 10 and the four examples above. This establishes the documented function, not whether it has been native-tested in every edition or mobile client. [S1]
  • PlanMaker 2024 / 2021: The corresponding English manuals list CHAR(Number) and repeat the at-least-10 requirement (2024 p. 554; 2021 p. 523). This verifies documentation in these three releases, not the historical release of its introduction. [S2, S3]
  • Microsoft Excel: Microsoft documents CHAR(number) with number in the range 1 through 255, and specifically distinguishes the Windows (ANSI) and Macintosh character sets. Excel for the web has further stated limitations. The distinction 10 minimum in PlanMaker documentation vs. 1 in Excel documentation is meaningful for migration; no claim is made about PlanMaker’s exact error for lower numbers. [S4]
  • Other spreadsheet software: Similar function names are not proof of identical extended character mappings, accepted numeric ranges, or text-import behaviour. These items should be validated in the target app.
  • Locale and edition: The documented English formula has one argument and no optional arguments. Actual translated UI names, language/decimal settings, mobile edition behavior and Windows/macOS/Linux edge cases were not executed or exhaustively verified.

The PlanMaker section and PlanMaker function directory are existing live pages checked on 2026-10-11. The companion CODE and LEN guides currently exist only as review work, so this guide deliberately does not invent published URLs for them. SoftMaker’s official manual lists the related character functions CODE, UNICODE and UNICHAR. [S1, S6]

Official reference and verification

Verification status: Official documentation checked; example outcomes were independently reasoned or arithmetically checked where applicable. Not executed in SoftMaker PlanMaker.

  • No genuine SoftMaker PlanMaker screenshots are included; this guide does not use mock application images.