Accounting Category Display does not show the correct format/outpu

[Guest]

My apologies if this is a known bug or I am missing something...

On a worksheet in a spreadsheet, I have some cells already having numeric
values in. When I try and format to Accounting Category, they remain as eg
4.4, 0.9 left justified, rather than 4.40 and 0.90 right justified.

I have inserted another column to no avail. Is there some global action on
the active worksheet that is stopping me changing the format? When I look at
the format cells, it does say that the cells are Accounting and 2 decimal
places

In fact whatever I change it to, the cells remain the same value/output
display.

 

[Niek Otten]

Your "numbers" are actually text.
Copy an empty cell.
Select your "numbers".
Edit>Paste special, check Add.

 

[Guest]

Niek
Thanks for the rapid response. I initially thought that this was a
possibility but I am convinced that the number is a number and not text. I
did as you said but the value remained the same. I also copied and special
pasted (add) another number from another part of the spreadsheet and it added
it to the field value, but leaving the format left justified. My apologies
if I am missing something glaring in my face.

 

[Niek Otten]

What happens if you do a test with ISNUMBER()?

 

[Niek Otten]

BTW, slight modification of my procedure should help:

Format an empty cell as Number. Enter zero. Copy.
Select your "numbers". Edit>Paste Special, check "Add"
This *should* work!

 

[Guest]

Niek,

Just tried your advice.

The solution in the end was....Formula View ! I showed that the number was
true using your suggestion with ISNUMBER() and this of course showed as a
formula initially. On changinging from Formula View, the numbers displayed
as correct format. A simple problem staring me in the face and I thank you
again for your input.