Can you lock the format of a cell and still change content
 

I've seen answers to this from the past (protect sheet but leave cell
unlocked) but this does not help my problem.

I have spreadsheets used by many staff where it is essential to enter a + or
- symbol. Excell always treats these as a "function" instead of simply
"text" no matter if the format is set for "text."

Yes, you can enter a ' before the symbol to force "text" mode -- a very old
protocol -- but surely there's a way to make Excell accept entries as text
and leave it that way???

Can you lock the format of a cell and still change content
 

If I format the cell as text before I type anything I can enter
for instance +48 and it stays that way

--


Regards,


Peo Sjoblom

"MLM" wrote in message
...
I've seen answers to this from the past (protect sheet but leave cell
unlocked) but this does not help my problem.

I have spreadsheets used by many staff where it is essential to enter a +
or
- symbol. Excell always treats these as a "function" instead of simply
"text" no matter if the format is set for "text."

Yes, you can enter a ' before the symbol to force "text" mode -- a very
old
protocol -- but surely there's a way to make Excell accept entries as text
and leave it that way???

Can you lock the format of a cell and still change content
 

+48 is a number. I need to enter ONLY the symbol + (or -). Seems the
biggest problem is moving to the next cell by an arrow instead of <ENTER.

"Peo Sjoblom" wrote:

If I format the cell as text before I type anything I can enter
for instance +48 and it stays that way

--


Regards,


Peo Sjoblom

"MLM" wrote in message
...
I've seen answers to this from the past (protect sheet but leave cell
unlocked) but this does not help my problem.

I have spreadsheets used by many staff where it is essential to enter a +
or
- symbol. Excell always treats these as a "function" instead of simply
"text" no matter if the format is set for "text."

Yes, you can enter a ' before the symbol to force "text" mode -- a very
old
protocol -- but surely there's a way to make Excell accept entries as text
and leave it that way???

Can you lock the format of a cell and still change content
 

I can enter any operand in a cell as well and they stay as text. However if
you
are using arrow keys they will interpret it as if you are trying to write a
formula, that is
to be compatible with Lotus 123 when it was the dominant spreadsheet.


--


Regards,


Peo Sjoblom

"MLM" wrote in message
...
+48 is a number. I need to enter ONLY the symbol + (or -). Seems the
biggest problem is moving to the next cell by an arrow instead of <ENTER.

"Peo Sjoblom" wrote:

If I format the cell as text before I type anything I can enter
for instance +48 and it stays that way

--


Regards,


Peo Sjoblom

"MLM" wrote in message
...
I've seen answers to this from the past (protect sheet but leave cell
unlocked) but this does not help my problem.

I have spreadsheets used by many staff where it is essential to enter a
+
or
- symbol. Excell always treats these as a "function" instead of simply
"text" no matter if the format is set for "text."

Yes, you can enter a ' before the symbol to force "text" mode -- a very
old
protocol -- but surely there's a way to make Excell accept entries as
text
and leave it that way???

Can you lock the format of a cell and still change content
 

Yup, that's the problem. Thanks for the perspective. Guess I'll just have
to teach my people how to do it best, and even rearrage our sheets so that
<enter goes to the next one needed and arrows won't be the easiest way to
move.

MLMerklin

"Peo Sjoblom" wrote:

I can enter any operand in a cell as well and they stay as text. However if
you
are using arrow keys they will interpret it as if you are trying to write a
formula, that is
to be compatible with Lotus 123 when it was the dominant spreadsheet.


--


Regards,


Peo Sjoblom

"MLM" wrote in message
...
+48 is a number. I need to enter ONLY the symbol + (or -). Seems the
biggest problem is moving to the next cell by an arrow instead of <ENTER.

"Peo Sjoblom" wrote:

If I format the cell as text before I type anything I can enter
for instance +48 and it stays that way

--


Regards,


Peo Sjoblom

"MLM" wrote in message
...
I've seen answers to this from the past (protect sheet but leave cell
unlocked) but this does not help my problem.

I have spreadsheets used by many staff where it is essential to enter a
+
or
- symbol. Excell always treats these as a "function" instead of simply
"text" no matter if the format is set for "text."

Yes, you can enter a ' before the symbol to force "text" mode -- a very
old
protocol -- but surely there's a way to make Excell accept entries as
text
and leave it that way???