If you format the cell as a number(rather than general) then a 15-digit
integer will appear with all the digits. At least that's what happens in
my copy of Excel 2003. The client should format all the cells that need
these large numbers as numbers.

If you go beyond 15 digits you'll lose the digits beyond the 15th place
as expected. Entering 123456789012345678 will display as
123456789012345000. The cell contents will also display the last three
digits as zero's.

Quattro Pro works the same way, except the cell contents are displayed
as 1.23456789012346E+17.

We're talking quadrillions here, people. That's even beyond the federal
deficit! What's the need for such big numbers? I could never figure out
why credit card companies needed 16 digits, except for Amex, which seems
to get by with just 15.

Bill

"Carla Bradley" wrote in
message ...
This isn't really a question. I just need to explain properly from a
more
authoritative voice than myself why something is happening to a client.
She
is entering a 15 digit character in excel (all numbers). It is
truncating it
down to a few numbers plus that e+ thing. For example entering
153469874563216 becomes 1.5437E+14 when the cell is formatted as general
or
number. I explained as best I could why and to format the cell as text
or add
a single quote to the beginning, but she said it didn't work for her
that way
before. She has Word XP and I had several others try and it did the same
thing to them. I have Word 2003 and it worked fine for me, no
truncating. I
just need something intelligent to tell this person, because she didn't
like
my explanation.

Thanks,
Carla