how to format numbers stored as text or vice versa to use vlookup, match,
etc....

I have a spreadsheet that I am having supplied by other people.

It has part numbers, that are entered in the following way: 7-1405-01

I have the same part #'s on another spreadsheet that I maintain, that has
the same number as that.

The problem comes when I try to use a vlookup, match, or similiar
function....the format for some reason does not recognize each other from
spreadsheet to spreadsheet and I don't know how to get around this...

I have tried selecting all the part #'s and going to format cells and tried
to make sure that all the formatting of these part #'s match on each sheet,
be it, general, number, or text..but I still can't get it to work...

the only way I can get them to work is to retype the number, exactly as it
is again on the spreadsheet that the other people are supplying to me....when
I do this, even though the formatting is the same, then my function lookups
work...

any idea how to get around this problem without having to retype all the
numbers on one of the sheets..

by the way, I'm using Excel 2003..

thanks!!

As a workaround, if all of the numbers contain a dash, you can try
Edit/Replace, replacing - with - . This will perhaps eliminate the need to
retype the numbers.


On Thu, 3 Feb 2005 14:09:05 -0800, "teneagle"
wrote:

how to format numbers stored as text or vice versa to use vlookup, match,
etc....

I have a spreadsheet that I am having supplied by other people.

It has part numbers, that are entered in the following way: 7-1405-01

I have the same part #'s on another spreadsheet that I maintain, that has
the same number as that.

The problem comes when I try to use a vlookup, match, or similiar
function....the format for some reason does not recognize each other from
spreadsheet to spreadsheet and I don't know how to get around this...

I have tried selecting all the part #'s and going to format cells and tried
to make sure that all the formatting of these part #'s match on each sheet,
be it, general, number, or text..but I still can't get it to work...

the only way I can get them to work is to retype the number, exactly as it
is again on the spreadsheet that the other people are supplying to me....when
I do this, even though the formatting is the same, then my function lookups
work...

any idea how to get around this problem without having to retype all the
numbers on one of the sheets..

by the way, I'm using Excel 2003..

thanks!!