Cell formated as text changes when copied
 

Spreadsheet with 10 rows (all formated as text) and 1 column. I enter the
string: Usages in 1900 - 1905 in the top row. I select the top row and catch
the sqaure at the lower right corner and "copy" the text to the next 9 rows.

The text in the second line is now "Usages in 1900 - 1901"
in the third row it is "Usages in 1900 - 1902"
and so on.

Why is the text changing?
--
Thanks for your help - jjk98

Cell formated as text changes when copied
 

Oops!

I typed the description incorrectly - the first line of text is "Usages in
1900 - 1900"

Also if the year is not the last thing on the line then it works fine. So if
I type the first line as "Usages in 1900 - 1900 summarized" then the second
year does not change.
--
Thanks for your help - jjk98


"jjk98" wrote:

Spreadsheet with 10 rows (all formated as text) and 1 column. I enter the
string: Usages in 1900 - 1905 in the top row. I select the top row and catch
the sqaure at the lower right corner and "copy" the text to the next 9 rows.

The text in the second line is now "Usages in 1900 - 1901"
in the third row it is "Usages in 1900 - 1902"
and so on.

Why is the text changing?
--
Thanks for your help - jjk98

Cell formated as text changes when copied
 

This is, I think, one of those situations in which Excel is trying to help,
but is perhaps a bit smarter than you'd like it to be. If you copy to the
next nine rows by executing an Edit Copy followed by selecting the cells and
doing a paste, it won't do that (I think). Same if you do it by
right-clicking on the first cell, selecting copy, then selecting the next
nine cells and doing a paste. Dragging that handle at the lower right-hand
corner frequently increments things by one.

Jim

"jjk98" wrote:

Oops!

I typed the description incorrectly - the first line of text is "Usages in
1900 - 1900"

Also if the year is not the last thing on the line then it works fine. So if
I type the first line as "Usages in 1900 - 1900 summarized" then the second
year does not change.
--
Thanks for your help - jjk98


"jjk98" wrote:

Spreadsheet with 10 rows (all formated as text) and 1 column. I enter the
string: Usages in 1900 - 1905 in the top row. I select the top row and catch
the sqaure at the lower right corner and "copy" the text to the next 9 rows.

The text in the second line is now "Usages in 1900 - 1901"
in the third row it is "Usages in 1900 - 1902"
and so on.

Why is the text changing?
--
Thanks for your help - jjk98

Cell formated as text changes when copied
 

Thank you, both solutions work as you describe. Would you consider the action
I found a "bug"?

--
Thanks for your help - jjk98


"jjk98" wrote:

Spreadsheet with 10 rows (all formated as text) and 1 column. I enter the
string: Usages in 1900 - 1905 in the top row. I select the top row and catch
the sqaure at the lower right corner and "copy" the text to the next 9 rows.

The text in the second line is now "Usages in 1900 - 1901"
in the third row it is "Usages in 1900 - 1902"
and so on.

Why is the text changing?
--
Thanks for your help - jjk98

Cell formated as text changes when copied
 

That is Excel being helpful and autofilling for you.

Although row 2 should read Usages in 1900 - 1906

i.e. only the 1905 will increment.

Right-click on the fill handle(little square) and drag down.

Release and "Copy Cells"


Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP

On Mon, 21 May 2007 16:03:02 -0700, jjk98
wrote:

Spreadsheet with 10 rows (all formated as text) and 1 column. I enter the
string: Usages in 1900 - 1905 in the top row. I select the top row and catch
the sqaure at the lower right corner and "copy" the text to the next 9 rows.

The text in the second line is now "Usages in 1900 - 1901"
in the third row it is "Usages in 1900 - 1902"
and so on.

Why is the text changing?

Cell formated as text changes when copied
 

Thanks to both suggestions, both work. And you are correct, it is Excel
"helping" even though I tried to disable the "help" by making it a text field.

Sort of like the most dreaded words in the US: "We're from the government
and we're here to help!"
--
Thanks for your help - jjk98


"jjk98" wrote:

Spreadsheet with 10 rows (all formated as text) and 1 column. I enter the
string: Usages in 1900 - 1905 in the top row. I select the top row and catch
the sqaure at the lower right corner and "copy" the text to the next 9 rows.

The text in the second line is now "Usages in 1900 - 1901"
in the third row it is "Usages in 1900 - 1902"
and so on.

Why is the text changing?
--
Thanks for your help - jjk98