Marge wrote on Sun, 10 Feb 2008 11:11:00 -0800:

M "Stephen S" wrote:

?? Excel 2003
?? I have lists of phone numbers in continuous 10 digits
?? format. I'd like to convert them to USA format so I can
?? import them (with area code in parentheses etc) into a PTA
?? school phone directory using Word 2003 merge. I know about
?? Format/Cells/Special/Phone Number but this is obviously
?? only for display and printing purposes. While the cells
?? show the US format, the unformatted 10 digits are still in
?? the formula bar.

This is not meant critically and I understand that you mean
(123) 456-7890 as USA Format (as does Excel) but a lot of
places use 123-456-7890 or even 123.456.7890. I use the
hyphenated form myself and sometimes add the preceding "1" still
necessary to keep some phone companies happy even if, like me, a
lot of people have unlimited calling, thus 1-123-456-7890. I
discovered quite recently that my version of Profile will take
123-456-7890 but insists on storing and displaying later as
(123) 456-7890. However, if I use 1-123-456-7890, it is stored
and displayed as is.

Unlike San Francisco, around my part of the US, the so-called
area code is always dialed and cannot be assumed. Leave it off
and you get the "Are you mentally deficient" sounding recording:
"If you need assistance, please call an operator".

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not