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Mac Forum / Applications / Excel / July 2005Cell wants number then text: what do I do?
I have a document that list serial numbers. (in a column) for software keys. One on them used to come out: 4.88312E+14 Even though it was supposed to be a long number. So I think, I made this a number?? And then everything was ok. Now one of my serial numbers is not working : can't open a software I use. It turns out Excel has deleted the zero at beginning: WHYYYYYYYYY????????? SO I change it to text and I'm ok. But the first one is now screwed up. Why the torture??????????????? Why can't excel just let me enter numbers and the look exactly as I entered them???????? OS 10.4.2 Office 2004 You can start by formatting the column as text. Or, enter the values with a leading apostrophe. On 7/24/05 11:57 PM, in article BF09B14B.DF42%studiok4485@hotmail.com, > I have a document that list serial numbers. (in a column) for software > keys. [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > OS 10.4.2 > Office 2004  SignatureBob Greenblatt [MVP], Macintosh bobgreenblattATmsnDOTcom Thanksl Bob! What's going on? Why does Excel chop of a zero in the cell is formatted for numbers? And why does Excel take a number that is: 488312064642057 And make it : 4.88312E+14 as text? This number: 01459329 and chops off the 0 The apostrophe stores is as text correct? Thanks Thanks!!!!!!!!! On 7/25/05 5:43 AM, in article BF0A569D.4AC45%bob@nospam.com, "Bob Greenblatt" <bob@nospam.com> wrote: > You can start by formatting the column as text. Or, enter the values with a > leading apostrophe. [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] >> OS 10.4.2 >> Office 2004 OS 10.4.2 Office 2004 On 7/25/05 2:28 PM, in article BF0A7D5C.DF4B%studiok4485@hotmail.com, "kevs" <studiok4485@hotmail.com> wrote: > Thanksl Bob! > > What's going on? > > Why does Excel chop of a zero in the cell is formatted for numbers? Excel is defaulting to the "General" format which does not display leading zeros. Excel realizes that what you entered is a number and stores it as such so you can do math with it. If you really want it as text, format it as text or use the leading apostrophe. > And why does Excel take a number that is: > 488312064642057 > > And make it : 4.88312E+14 as text? Same as above. Excel is trying to make this very large number more readable and converts it to scientific notation. Again this is a number and can be used in calculations. > This number: > 01459329 and chops off the 0 Same. > The apostrophe stores is as text correct? Thanks Yes, and you can tell this because it is left justified in the cell rather than right justified. > Thanks!!!!!!!!! You're welcome. > On 7/25/05 5:43 AM, in article BF0A569D.4AC45%bob@nospam.com, "Bob > Greenblatt" <bob@nospam.com> wrote: [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > OS 10.4.2 > Office 2004 SignatureBob Greenblatt [MVP], Macintosh bobgreenblattATmsnDOTcom Bob: Thanks for great help! Lastly: Why not show leading zeros? ???? On 7/26/05 1:02 PM, in article BF0C0F10.4B736%bob@nospam.com, "Bob Greenblatt" <bob@nospam.com> wrote: > On 7/25/05 2:28 PM, in article BF0A7D5C.DF4B%studiok4485@hotmail.com, "kevs" > <studiok4485@hotmail.com> wrote: [quoted text clipped - 69 lines] >> OS 10.4.2 >> Office 2004 OS 10.4.2 Office 2004 On 7/26/05 9:40 PM, in article BF0C5E4C.E02F%studiok4485@hotmail.com, "kevs" <studiok4485@hotmail.com> wrote: > Bob: > Thanks for great help! > > Lastly: > Why not show leading zeros? ???? I'm not sure you understood what Bob wrote. Leading zeroes are not part of numbers, they're just a formatting artifact. Numbers (integers) don't have leading zeroes. You could set the Format/Cells/Number/Custom to always have a fixed number of digits, which would supply the leading zeroes. (e.g. if you enter the Format as 00000000 there will always be 8 digits, including as many leading zeroes as necessary to make up the number.) But if your numbers don't all have the same number of digits, that won't do. If you don't actually need to calculate anything wit the numbers, then just format them as text and they will appear exactly as you enter them, leading zero and all. SignaturePaul Berkowitz MVP MacOffice Entourage FAQ Page: <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/faq/index.html> AppleScripts for Entourage: <http://macscripter.net/scriptbuilders/> Please "Reply To Newsgroup" to reply to this message. Emails will be ignored. PLEASE always state which version of Microsoft Office you are using - **2004**, X or 2001. It's often impossible to answer your questions otherwise. Thanks Paul, that help to explain it. Your right, I would normally never put a zero in front of anything. But this excel file I use a lost just list all my software passwords, and serial numbers, and those developers sometimes put zeros at beginning. So know I know the deal! Thanks!! On 7/26/05 11:38 PM, in article BF0C79E1.A99A7%berkowit@spoof_silcom.com, > On 7/26/05 9:40 PM, in article BF0C5E4C.E02F%studiok4485@hotmail.com, "kevs" > <studiok4485@hotmail.com> wrote: [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > as text and they will appear exactly as you enter them, leading zero and > all. OS 10.4.2 Office 2004 |
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