Formatting cells

[Guest]

I'm using Excel 2002. I've created a spreadsheet of my weightlifting
workouts--dates, exercises, and in the cells, the number of sets I perform
with the number of repetitions. For instance, cells have numbers like 2-12,
2-9, 3-12, indicating two or three sets of 9 or 12 repetitions. The problem
is that I'm formatting the cells as general, but I'm still getting a green
triangle in the upper left cell corner, and when I hold the cursor over the
cell, the yellow exclamation point appears, asking me if I want to ignore
the formatting error. In some cells that I think I've already formatted, my
numbers turn to "###." I want to enter the numbers as plain text with no
other formatting. What am I doing wrong?

Also, what's the formatting difference between "general" and "text"
formatting?

Thanks. --Arthur

 

[JoAnn Paules [MVP]]

##### means your column isn't wide enough for the data. ;-)

--

JoAnn Paules
MVP Microsoft [Publisher]

~~~~~
How to ask a question
http://support.microsoft.com/KB/555375

 

[Guest]

Oh--he said sheepishly. What about the formatting? Thanks. --Arthur

##### means your column isn't wide enough for the data. ;-)

--

JoAnn Paules
MVP Microsoft [Publisher]

~~~~~
How to ask a question
http://support.microsoft.com/KB/555375

I'm using Excel 2002. I've created a spreadsheet of my weightlifting
workouts--dates, exercises, and in the cells, the number of sets I
perform with the number of repetitions. For instance, cells have numbers
like 2-12, 2-9, 3-12, indicating two or three sets of 9 or 12
repetitions. The problem is that I'm formatting the cells as general, but
I'm still getting a green triangle in the upper left cell corner, and
when I hold the cursor over the cell, the yellow exclamation point
appears, asking me if I want to ignore the formatting error. In some
cells that I think I've already formatted, my numbers turn to "###." I
want to enter the numbers as plain text with no other formatting. What am
I doing wrong?

Also, what's the formatting difference between "general" and "text"
formatting?

Thanks. --Arthur

 

[JoAnn Paules [MVP]]

Sorry - I know enough about Excel to be dangerous. Publisher is my forte.

--

JoAnn Paules
MVP Microsoft [Publisher]

~~~~~
How to ask a question
http://support.microsoft.com/KB/555375

Oh--he said sheepishly. What about the formatting? Thanks. --Arthur

##### means your column isn't wide enough for the data. ;-)

--

JoAnn Paules
MVP Microsoft [Publisher]

~~~~~
How to ask a question
http://support.microsoft.com/KB/555375

I'm using Excel 2002. I've created a spreadsheet of my weightlifting
workouts--dates, exercises, and in the cells, the number of sets I
perform with the number of repetitions. For instance, cells have numbers
like 2-12, 2-9, 3-12, indicating two or three sets of 9 or 12
repetitions. The problem is that I'm formatting the cells as general,
but I'm still getting a green triangle in the upper left cell corner,
and when I hold the cursor over the cell, the yellow exclamation point
appears, asking me if I want to ignore the formatting error. In some
cells that I think I've already formatted, my numbers turn to "###." I
want to enter the numbers as plain text with no other formatting. What
am I doing wrong?

Also, what's the formatting difference between "general" and "text"
formatting?

Thanks. --Arthur

 

[Ragdyer]

*PRE*-format the cells as text.
That means *before* you enter your numbers.

When XL looks at numeric and general formatted cells that contain numbers,
it's preparing for calculation, therefore the warnings that you're getting
saying that something is not right.
--
HTH,

RD

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please keep all correspondence within the NewsGroup, so all may benefit !
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oh--he said sheepishly. What about the formatting? Thanks. --Arthur

##### means your column isn't wide enough for the data. ;-)

--

JoAnn Paules
MVP Microsoft [Publisher]

~~~~~
How to ask a question
http://support.microsoft.com/KB/555375

I'm using Excel 2002. I've created a spreadsheet of my weightlifting
workouts--dates, exercises, and in the cells, the number of sets I
perform with the number of repetitions. For instance, cells have numbers
like 2-12, 2-9, 3-12, indicating two or three sets of 9 or 12
repetitions. The problem is that I'm formatting the cells as general, but
I'm still getting a green triangle in the upper left cell corner, and
when I hold the cursor over the cell, the yellow exclamation point
appears, asking me if I want to ignore the formatting error. In some
cells that I think I've already formatted, my numbers turn to "###." I
want to enter the numbers as plain text with no other formatting. What am
I doing wrong?

Also, what's the formatting difference between "general" and "text"
formatting?

Thanks. --Arthur

 

[Guest]

So it's best to format the cells as text instead of general for my
purposes? --Arthur

*PRE*-format the cells as text.
That means *before* you enter your numbers.

When XL looks at numeric and general formatted cells that contain numbers,
it's preparing for calculation, therefore the warnings that you're getting
saying that something is not right.
--
HTH,

RD

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please keep all correspondence within the NewsGroup, so all may benefit !
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oh--he said sheepishly. What about the formatting? Thanks. --Arthur

##### means your column isn't wide enough for the data. ;-)

--

JoAnn Paules
MVP Microsoft [Publisher]

~~~~~
How to ask a question
http://support.microsoft.com/KB/555375




I'm using Excel 2002. I've created a spreadsheet of my weightlifting
workouts--dates, exercises, and in the cells, the number of sets I
perform with the number of repetitions. For instance, cells have numbers
like 2-12, 2-9, 3-12, indicating two or three sets of 9 or 12
repetitions. The problem is that I'm formatting the cells as general, but
I'm still getting a green triangle in the upper left cell corner, and
when I hold the cursor over the cell, the yellow exclamation point
appears, asking me if I want to ignore the formatting error. In some
cells that I think I've already formatted, my numbers turn to "###." I
want to enter the numbers as plain text with no other formatting. What am
I doing wrong?

Also, what's the formatting difference between "general" and "text"
formatting?

Thanks. --Arthur

 

[Ragdyer]

Format a couple of cells and try it ... you may like it!<g>
It's your opinion that counts, based on what you see.
--
Regards,

RD

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please keep all correspondence within the NewsGroup, so all may benefit !
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

So it's best to format the cells as text instead of general for my
purposes? --Arthur

*PRE*-format the cells as text.
That means *before* you enter your numbers.

When XL looks at numeric and general formatted cells that contain numbers,
it's preparing for calculation, therefore the warnings that you're getting
saying that something is not right.
--
HTH,

RD

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

-

Please keep all correspondence within the NewsGroup, so all may benefit

!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

-

Oh--he said sheepishly. What about the formatting? Thanks. --Arthur

##### means your column isn't wide enough for the data. ;-)

--

JoAnn Paules
MVP Microsoft [Publisher]

~~~~~
How to ask a question
http://support.microsoft.com/KB/555375




I'm using Excel 2002. I've created a spreadsheet of my weightlifting
workouts--dates, exercises, and in the cells, the number of sets I
perform with the number of repetitions. For instance, cells have numbers
like 2-12, 2-9, 3-12, indicating two or three sets of 9 or 12
repetitions. The problem is that I'm formatting the cells as

general,
but

I'm still getting a green triangle in the upper left cell corner, and
when I hold the cursor over the cell, the yellow exclamation point
appears, asking me if I want to ignore the formatting error. In some
cells that I think I've already formatted, my numbers turn to "###." I
want to enter the numbers as plain text with no other formatting.

What
am

I doing wrong?

Also, what's the formatting difference between "general" and "text"
formatting?

Thanks. --Arthur