I type in 01, 02, 03 etc. but of course excel will turn it into 1, 2, and 3.
solution?

If you want the leading zero to display, you have a decision to make.

If you want the values to be NUMBERS, set the number format to display the
leading zero:
<format<cells<number tab
Category: custom
Type: 00
Click [OK]
Note: The if you type 02, the value will be 2, but will display as 02.

If you want the values to be text, set the number format to Text
<format<cells<number tab
Category: Text
Click [OK]
Note: Anything you type in the cells will be text....even formulas

Does that help?
--------------------------

Regards,

Ron
Microsoft MVP (Excel)

(XL2003, Win XP)
:
"HoganD87" wrote in message
...
I type in 01, 02, 03 etc. but of course excel will turn it into 1, 2, and
3.
solution?

Format the cells as TEXT rather than number and it will show whatever you put
in there.
--
Traa Dy Liooar

Jock


"HoganD87" wrote:

I type in 01, 02, 03 etc. but of course excel will turn it into 1, 2, and 3.
solution?

If you are going to use them as numbers - do some arithmetic with them,
format the cell with Custom Format: 00

If they are really text, type a single quote before you type the number:
'02. The quote will not display (except in Formula Bar) nor will it print.
best wishes
--
Bernard V Liengme
Microsoft Excel MVP
www.stfx.ca/people/bliengme
remove caps from email

"HoganD87" wrote in message
...
I type in 01, 02, 03 etc. but of course excel will turn it into 1, 2, and
3.
solution?

If you want two digits and want to see a leading zero then:

Format Cells... Custom 00


If you want an aribtrary set of digits, then begin the string with a single
quote (apostrophe)
--
Gary''s Student - gsnu200743


"HoganD87" wrote:

I type in 01, 02, 03 etc. but of course excel will turn it into 1, 2, and 3.
solution?

Hello everybody,
I understand how to manually change the cells to text or to enter and
apostrophe in front of the number, but I would like to know if there is a way
to "turn off" the parsing of the leading zero. It seems to me that if I can
change the autoformatting to ignore certain entries in a cell (ie consecutive
capital letters) then Excel should be smart enough to know not to remove the
zeros. I shouldn't have to go into every spreadsheet and change the
formatting of particular cells. This is a sloppy way to "fix" the problem. Is
there a way to change this setting to default (I can't for the life of me
understand why there wouldn't be)? If not, why not? MS is always adding bell
& whistles that no one will ever use, why not a useful option?


"Bernard Liengme" wrote:

If you are going to use them as numbers - do some arithmetic with them,
format the cell with Custom Format: 00

If they are really text, type a single quote before you type the number:
'02. The quote will not display (except in Formula Bar) nor will it print.
best wishes
--
Bernard V Liengme
Microsoft Excel MVP
www.stfx.ca/people/bliengme
remove caps from email

"HoganD87" wrote in message
...
I type in 01, 02, 03 etc. but of course excel will turn it into 1, 2, and
3.
solution?