format cells

  • Thread starter Thread starter Len B
  • Start date Start date
L

Len B

I have solved this so it is just my curiosity at play here.

Using someone else's sheet, I entered a formula (=D235/80) into a cell
expecting a numeric result not realizing that the cell was formatted as Text
(so I got to see the formula as text). So I changed the cell format to
Number with 4 places.

To my surprise, the cell still displayed the formula. I looked for a leading
' or space but there was none. Retyping the formula produced the result I
expected in the first place.

What is going on?

TIA
Len
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Changing the format of a cell doesn't change its underlying value.

Essentially, you're telling excel that the _next_ time you make a change to that
cell, then use the numberformat.

Same thing happens if you format a range as Text, then type in numbers. Those
values are text to excel. Simply changing the numberformat back to
General/Number isn't enough to change the value. You have to do something else.
 
Just changing the format from Text to General does not change the cell. Once
the format has changed either re-type or:

F2
ENTER
 
Thanks guys,
I realized that the contents must still have been text.
That's why I looked for leading space etc.

Wish I had thought of F2. That would have made me catch on.
Thanks again
Len
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