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#1
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What defines number or text
Hi folks,
I have the following £50...it is defined as a number without me doing anything. I have $50 ...it is defined as text without me doing anything. I have 10% sometimes (depending on the pc) it is a number and sometimes text, similarly 10,000. Now I assume that the £50 is recognised as a number because of my windows settings...but the rest? Trying to get the $50 recognised as currency is possible....if I delete the original $50, format the cell as currency, and then re-enter the 50. I would love to know what deifnes the figure as text or number, and how I can move between the two without having to delete the figures. Danny |
#2
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Hi Danny
basically if you enter a number without any formatting Excel will treat it as a number - if you apply "formatting" (e.g. £ or $ or thousand separators (,) ) then, as you have found, depending on your windows settings excel will decide how to treat it. The best advice when entering numbers is that other than the % enter the number by itself (e.g. 50) and use the formatting options to give it what it needs. To switch from text to numbers, one method is to select a blank, unused, unformatted cell and choose copy then select your "text" and choose edit / paste special - ADD. hope this helps Cheers JulieD "Danny J" wrote in message ... Hi folks, I have the following £50...it is defined as a number without me doing anything. I have $50 ...it is defined as text without me doing anything. I have 10% sometimes (depending on the pc) it is a number and sometimes text, similarly 10,000. Now I assume that the £50 is recognised as a number because of my windows settings...but the rest? Trying to get the $50 recognised as currency is possible....if I delete the original $50, format the cell as currency, and then re-enter the 50. I would love to know what deifnes the figure as text or number, and how I can move between the two without having to delete the figures. Danny |
#3
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Selet one of these cells and look in the formula bar.
If you see *only* a number, you know that the cell is a *true* number. If you see any currency symbol, the cell is text. You are correct in assuming that your settings will denote whether or not the entry is either text or numerical, really depending on *how* you entered the data. If you *PRE*format a cell as currency and choose any currency symbol, that cell will always be a number. With my US settings, data entered <Alt+0036, then 50 ... yields a number - $50 <Alt+0163, then 50 ... yields a text display - £50 Your settings should return the opposite. As far as moving between the 2, you could try adjusting the "Style" setting on you sheet, making the currency symbol on you default toolbar display any currency sign that you choose. <Format <Style, And expand the "StyleName" box, and select "currency". Click on "Modify", and you'll bring up the regular format window, where you can choose the US $ sign, then <OK <OK. Now, when you enter a number and click on the currency sign on the toolbar, you should get the US$, which should remain a *true* number. -- HTH, RD ============================================== Please keep all correspondence within the Group, so all may benefit! ============================================== "Danny J" wrote in message ... Hi folks, I have the following £50...it is defined as a number without me doing anything. I have $50 ...it is defined as text without me doing anything. I have 10% sometimes (depending on the pc) it is a number and sometimes text, similarly 10,000. Now I assume that the £50 is recognised as a number because of my windows settings...but the rest? Trying to get the $50 recognised as currency is possible....if I delete the original $50, format the cell as currency, and then re-enter the 50. I would love to know what deifnes the figure as text or number, and how I can move between the two without having to delete the figures. Danny |
#4
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Thanks Folks
"RagDyer" wrote in message ... Selet one of these cells and look in the formula bar. If you see *only* a number, you know that the cell is a *true* number. If you see any currency symbol, the cell is text. You are correct in assuming that your settings will denote whether or not the entry is either text or numerical, really depending on *how* you entered the data. If you *PRE*format a cell as currency and choose any currency symbol, that cell will always be a number. With my US settings, data entered <Alt+0036, then 50 ... yields a number - $50 <Alt+0163, then 50 ... yields a text display - £50 Your settings should return the opposite. As far as moving between the 2, you could try adjusting the "Style" setting on you sheet, making the currency symbol on you default toolbar display any currency sign that you choose. <Format <Style, And expand the "StyleName" box, and select "currency". Click on "Modify", and you'll bring up the regular format window, where you can choose the US $ sign, then <OK <OK. Now, when you enter a number and click on the currency sign on the toolbar, you should get the US$, which should remain a *true* number. -- HTH, RD ============================================== Please keep all correspondence within the Group, so all may benefit! ============================================== "Danny J" wrote in message ... Hi folks, I have the following £50...it is defined as a number without me doing anything. I have $50 ...it is defined as text without me doing anything. I have 10% sometimes (depending on the pc) it is a number and sometimes text, similarly 10,000. Now I assume that the £50 is recognised as a number because of my windows settings...but the rest? Trying to get the $50 recognised as currency is possible....if I delete the original $50, format the cell as currency, and then re-enter the 50. I would love to know what deifnes the figure as text or number, and how I can move between the two without having to delete the figures. Danny |
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