Convert numbers stored as text to numbers

[Stig - tame racing driver]

Help!! i'm going mad

how do you Convert numbers stored as text to numbers useing a formula
(normaly comes up with and error..... but not today)


Thanking you

 

[Shane Devenshire]

Hi,

Problem:
When numbers are enter as text they may not calculate within formulas as
they should. A few formulas will work fine despite the numbers being entered
as text. Numbers can be stored as text by 1. preformatting the cell to Text
and entering the number, 2. Typing an apostrophy in front of the number '123,
3. Because the data was downloaded from a soure inwhich it was stored as a
number, 4. Because you used the Text to Columns command and converted it to
text., and....

There is no sure indicator that a number is stored as text, although numbers
are usually right aligned and text left aligned, this may not be the case.
If you are using a later version of Excel, Error Checking green triangles may
appear at the top left corner of these cell, but this feature may be off or
the version of Excel may not support it. (2000 and earlier).

You can find out what data type the entries are by using the =ISTEXT(A1) or
=ISNUMBER(A1) functions. You can not tell by checking the Format. If a
number was entered in a cell preformatted as General or as a number, then it
will be a number, even if it's current format is Text. Likewise a number
entered in a cell preformatted as Text will be text even if it's current
format is Number, General, Date, Currency and the like.

Solution:
1. Change the format to one that is numeric and then reenter the numbers
(too slow and error prone.)
2. Select the cells and open the Error Checking options and choose Convert
to Numbers.
3. Select an empty cell and copy it. Select the text number cell and choose
Edit, Paste Special, Add (or Subtract). This method is ~100 times faster
than #2.

Dates are numbers, and if they are stored as text, you will not get an Error
Checking triangle, so method #3 is obligatory if there is a substantial
number of dates to convert.

If this information is helpful, please click the Yes button.

cheers,
Shane Devenshire

 

[David Biddulph]

A number of options worth looking at:
Data/ Text to Columns
Copy a zero (or an empty cell) and then Edit/ Paste Special/ Add to your
range of text numbers
(or similarly Edit/ Paste Special/Multiply by 1)

 

[Stig - tame racing driver]

Still not working ........ never mind

Hi,

Problem:
When numbers are enter as text they may not calculate within formulas as
they should. A few formulas will work fine despite the numbers being
entered
as text. Numbers can be stored as text by 1. preformatting the cell to
Text
and entering the number, 2. Typing an apostrophy in front of the number
'123,
3. Because the data was downloaded from a soure inwhich it was stored as a
number, 4. Because you used the Text to Columns command and converted it
to
text., and....

There is no sure indicator that a number is stored as text, although
numbers
are usually right aligned and text left aligned, this may not be the case.
If you are using a later version of Excel, Error Checking green triangles
may
appear at the top left corner of these cell, but this feature may be off
or
the version of Excel may not support it. (2000 and earlier).

You can find out what data type the entries are by using the =ISTEXT(A1)
or
=ISNUMBER(A1) functions. You can not tell by checking the Format. If a
number was entered in a cell preformatted as General or as a number, then
it
will be a number, even if it's current format is Text. Likewise a number
entered in a cell preformatted as Text will be text even if it's current
format is Number, General, Date, Currency and the like.

Solution:
1. Change the format to one that is numeric and then reenter the numbers
(too slow and error prone.)
2. Select the cells and open the Error Checking options and choose Convert
to Numbers.
3. Select an empty cell and copy it. Select the text number cell and
choose
Edit, Paste Special, Add (or Subtract). This method is ~100 times faster
than #2.

Dates are numbers, and if they are stored as text, you will not get an
Error
Checking triangle, so method #3 is obligatory if there is a substantial
number of dates to convert.

If this information is helpful, please click the Yes button.

cheers,
Shane Devenshire

 

[Pete_UK]

In addition to the methods given, you can use this in a helper column:

=VALUE(A1)
or
=A1 * 1

then copy down, assuming your text number is in A1. You can fix the
values and then paste over the originals from the helper column.

Hope this helps.

Pete

 

[Stig - tame racing driver]

Thank you..........

A number of options worth looking at:
Data/ Text to Columns
Copy a zero (or an empty cell) and then Edit/ Paste Special/ Add to your
range of text numbers
(or similarly Edit/ Paste Special/Multiply by 1)