I am having an odd problem.

I want to populate cells with + or -, but Excel assumes I'm writing a
formula and won't allow to just put the character in the cell (unless I hit
the spacebar once first, and I don't want to do that)

Is there a formatting setup that's causeing this? I've searched in vain.

Precede it by a single apostrophe

'+

--

HTH

Bob Phillips

(replace xxxx in the email address with gmail if mailing direct)

"johnny vino" wrote in message
...
I am having an odd problem.

I want to populate cells with + or -, but Excel assumes I'm writing a
formula and won't allow to just put the character in the cell (unless I
hit
the spacebar once first, and I don't want to do that)

Is there a formatting setup that's causeing this? I've searched in vain.

Format the cells as Text *before* entering the data

--
Kind regards,

Niek Otten
Microsoft MVP - Excel

"johnny vino" wrote in message ...
|I am having an odd problem.
|
| I want to populate cells with + or -, but Excel assumes I'm writing a
| formula and won't allow to just put the character in the cell (unless I hit
| the spacebar once first, and I don't want to do that)
|
| Is there a formatting setup that's causeing this? I've searched in vain.

Format the cells as text. Or put an apostrophe in front of the sign: '+ then
copy and paste as needed.

Dave
--
Brevity is the soul of wit.


"johnny vino" wrote:

I am having an odd problem.

I want to populate cells with + or -, but Excel assumes I'm writing a
formula and won't allow to just put the character in the cell (unless I hit
the spacebar once first, and I don't want to do that)

Is there a formatting setup that's causeing this? I've searched in vain.

But you'll have to press ENTER; if you press any of the direction keys it will change it to +A2 etc

--
Kind regards,

Niek Otten
Microsoft MVP - Excel

"Niek Otten" wrote in message ...
| Format the cells as Text *before* entering the data
|
| --
| Kind regards,
|
| Niek Otten
| Microsoft MVP - Excel
|
| "johnny vino" wrote in message ...
||I am having an odd problem.
||
|| I want to populate cells with + or -, but Excel assumes I'm writing a
|| formula and won't allow to just put the character in the cell (unless I hit
|| the spacebar once first, and I don't want to do that)
||
|| Is there a formatting setup that's causeing this? I've searched in vain.
|
|

Ding! Ding! Ding!

There goes my stupid alarm. I was of course using directional keys
exclusively. I knew there was a simple answer.

Thanks!

"Niek Otten" wrote:

But you'll have to press ENTER; if you press any of the direction keys it will change it to +A2 etc

--
Kind regards,

Niek Otten
Microsoft MVP - Excel

"Niek Otten" wrote in message ...
| Format the cells as Text *before* entering the data
|
| --
| Kind regards,
|
| Niek Otten
| Microsoft MVP - Excel
|
| "johnny vino" wrote in message ...
||I am having an odd problem.
||
|| I want to populate cells with + or -, but Excel assumes I'm writing a
|| formula and won't allow to just put the character in the cell (unless I hit
|| the spacebar once first, and I don't want to do that)
||
|| Is there a formatting setup that's causeing this? I've searched in vain.
|
|