---
title: "Text Formatting"
framework: javascript
version: "36.1.0"
---

# Text Formatting

Use a Value Formatter to provide text formatting of values.

In the example below:

- Column `Raw Value` displays the value of the `a` field of the row data.
- Column `Currency Amount (£)` uses a `currencyFormatter` to display the value as a currency.
- Column `Bracketed Value` uses a `bracketsFormatter` to display the value inside brackets.

#### Value Formatters

```ts
import {
  CellStyleModule,
  ClientSideRowModelModule,
  GridApi,
  GridOptions,
  ModuleRegistry,
  ValueFormatterParams,
  createGrid,
  enableDevValidations,
} from "ag-grid-community";

// Enable extended validations only for development
if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== "production") {
  enableDevValidations();
}

ModuleRegistry.registerModules([CellStyleModule, ClientSideRowModelModule]);

let gridApi: GridApi;

const gridOptions: GridOptions = {
  columnDefs: [
    { headerName: "Raw Value", field: "a" },
    {
      headerName: "Currency Amount (£)",
      field: "a",
      valueFormatter: currencyFormatter,
    },
    {
      headerName: "Bracketed Value",
      field: "a",
      valueFormatter: bracketsFormatter,
    },
  ],
  defaultColDef: {
    flex: 1,
    cellClass: "number-cell",
  },
  rowData: createRowData(),
};

function bracketsFormatter(params: ValueFormatterParams) {
  return "(" + params.value + ")";
}

function currencyFormatter(params: ValueFormatterParams) {
  return "£" + formatNumber(params.value);
}

function formatNumber(number: number) {
  return Math.floor(number).toLocaleString();
}

function createRowData() {
  const rowData = [];

  for (let i = 0; i < 100; i++) {
    rowData.push({
      a: Math.floor(((i + 2) * 173456) % 10000),
      b: Math.floor(((i + 7) * 373456) % 10000),
    });
  }

  return rowData;
}

const gridDiv = document.querySelector<HTMLElement>("#myGrid")!;
gridApi = createGrid(gridDiv, gridOptions);
```

[Live example: Value Formatters](https://www.ag-grid.com/examples/value-formatters/value-formatters/typescript)

```js
const gridOptions = {
    columnDefs: [
        // simple currency formatter
        { field: 'price', valueFormatter: params => '$' + params.value },
        // simple UPPER CASE formatter
        { field: 'code', valueFormatter: params => params.value.toUpperCase() }
    ],

    // other grid options ...
}
```

## Value Formatter Definition

Below shows the column definition properties for value formatters.

| Property | Type | Required | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `valueFormatter` | `string \| ValueFormatterFunc` |  |  | A function or expression to format a value, should return a string. |

Please note the Value Formatter params won't always have `data` and `node` supplied, e.g. the params supplied to the Value Formatter in the [Set Filter](https://www.ag-grid.com/javascript-data-grid/filter-set/).

As a result favour formatter implementations that rely upon the 'value' argument instead, as this will lead to better reuse of your Value Formatters.

> **Note**
>
> If using [Cell Data Types](https://www.ag-grid.com/javascript-data-grid/cell-data-types/), value formatters are set by default to handle the display of each of the different data types.

If you want more than text formatting, e.g. you need Buttons in the Cell, then use a [Cell Component](https://www.ag-grid.com/javascript-data-grid/component-cell-renderer/).

## Formatting for Export

By default, the grid uses the value formatter when performing other grid operations that need values in string format.

This behaviour can be prevented by setting the column definition property `useValueFormatterForExport = false` (note this does not apply to rendering).

| Property | Type | Required | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `useValueFormatterForExport` | `boolean` |  | `true` | By default, values are formatted using the column's `valueFormatter` when exporting data from the grid. This applies to CSV and Excel, as well as clipboard operations and the fill handle. Set to `false` to prevent values from being formatted for these operations. Regardless of this option, if custom handling is provided for the export operation, the value formatter will not be used. |

Using the value formatter for export applies to the following features:

- [Copy/Cut](https://www.ag-grid.com/javascript-data-grid/clipboard/#processing-pasted-data)
- [Fill Handle](https://www.ag-grid.com/javascript-data-grid/cell-selection-fill-handle/)
- [Copy Range Down](https://www.ag-grid.com/javascript-data-grid/cell-selection/#copy-cell-range-down)
- [CSV Export](https://www.ag-grid.com/javascript-data-grid/csv-export/)
- [Excel Export](https://www.ag-grid.com/javascript-data-grid/excel-export-customising-content/)

Using a value formatter for export is normally used in conjunction with [Using a Value Parser for Import](https://www.ag-grid.com/javascript-data-grid/value-parsers/#use-value-parser-for-import), where a [Value Parser](https://www.ag-grid.com/javascript-data-grid/value-parsers/) is defined that does the reverse of the value formatter.

The following example demonstrates the default behaviour using the value formatter for export with each of the supported features mentioned above.

#### Use Value Formatter for Export

```ts
import {
  ClientSideRowModelModule,
  GridApi,
  GridOptions,
  ModuleRegistry,
  TextEditorModule,
  ValueFormatterParams,
  ValueParserParams,
  createGrid,
  enableDevValidations,
} from "ag-grid-community";
import {
  CellSelectionModule,
  ClipboardModule,
  ColumnMenuModule,
  ContextMenuModule,
  ExcelExportModule,
} from "ag-grid-enterprise";

// Enable extended validations only for development
if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== "production") {
  enableDevValidations();
}

ModuleRegistry.registerModules([
  TextEditorModule,
  ClientSideRowModelModule,
  ClipboardModule,
  ExcelExportModule,
  ColumnMenuModule,
  ContextMenuModule,
  CellSelectionModule,
]);

let gridApi: GridApi;

const gridOptions: GridOptions = {
  columnDefs: [
    {
      headerName: "£A",
      field: "a",
      valueFormatter: currencyFormatter,
      valueParser: currencyParser,
    },
    {
      headerName: "£B",
      field: "b",
      valueFormatter: currencyFormatter,
      valueParser: currencyParser,
    },
  ],
  defaultColDef: {
    cellDataType: false,
    editable: true,
  },
  rowData: createRowData(),
  cellSelection: {
    handle: {
      mode: "fill",
    },
  },
};

function currencyFormatter(params: ValueFormatterParams) {
  return params.value == null ? "" : "£" + params.value;
}

function currencyParser(params: ValueParserParams) {
  let value = params.newValue;
  if (value == null || value === "") {
    return null;
  }
  value = String(value);

  if (value.startsWith("£")) {
    value = value.slice(1);
  }
  return parseFloat(value);
}

function createRowData() {
  const rowData = [];

  for (let i = 0; i < 100; i++) {
    rowData.push({
      a: Math.floor(((i + 2) * 173456) % 10000),
      b: Math.floor(((i + 7) * 373456) % 10000),
    });
  }

  return rowData;
}

const gridDiv = document.querySelector<HTMLElement>("#myGrid")!;
gridApi = createGrid(gridDiv, gridOptions);
```

[Live example: Use Value Formatter for Export](https://www.ag-grid.com/examples/value-formatters/use-value-formatter-for-export/typescript)

Note that if any of the following conditions are true, then `useValueFormatterForExport` is ignored for that feature and the value will be either the original value or that set in the custom handler:

- If `processCellForClipboard` is provided when using copy/cut.
- If `fillOperation` is provided when using fill handle.
- If `processCellForClipboard` is provided when using copy range down.
- If `processCellCallback` is provided when using CSV export.
- If `processCellCallback` or [Excel Data Types](https://www.ag-grid.com/javascript-data-grid/excel-export-data-types/) are provided when using Excel export.
- If the underlying value is a number when using Excel export. To export formatted number values to Excel, please use the [Excel Data Type](https://www.ag-grid.com/javascript-data-grid/excel-export-data-types/#strings-number-and-booleans) feature.