Formula snafu

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

I am baffled. I received a challenge to edit the date in one column. It's a
number that is formatted as a string.
I figured no problem so I entered a formula in an adjacent cell
"=right(D3,4)" and the only thing displayed is the formula (in the cell)!

I tested a different column and got the same thing. So I changed the
formula to point to a cell that had a name in it. The name was then
displayed in the new cell. I then went back to the same cell with the
formula that pointed to the persons name and re-entered the formula and guess
what, it now only displays the formula and not the persons name.

Is there some security issue I'm dealing with in this spreadsheet if so how
do I turn it off?
 
Don.

Here's before:


Column D Column E
1280-28101


Here's After

Column D Column E
1280-28101 =right(D2,4) ( this is what is displayed in the cell E3)
( should display
8101 )
 
Here's before:
Column D Column E
1280-28101

Here's After

Column D Column E
1280-28101 =right(D2,4) ( this is what is displayed in the cell E3)
( should display
8101 )
Click to expand...

Click Tools/Options on Excel's menu bar and then click the View tab on the
dialog box that appears. In the bottom section (labeled "Window
options").... is there a check mark in the Formulas entry? If so, uncheck
it.

Rick
 
other formulas in the same cell work OK?
If you are copying and pasting the formula , select the "=" and replace it
with a new "=".
 
To answer Rick Rothstein reply; the formula box is not check.

I'm not copying the formula from one cell to another. In my example cell E2
just had the formula manually entered but it does not display the information
from cell D2; it only displays the formula.

I went to a colmn further to the right; column J2 and manually entered the
same formula and it wouldn't show the correct information either.

I had a cell, C2 which contained a name so I placed a formula in K2 that
said "=C2" and the name was displayed. I then retyped the same formula in K2
"=C2" and the name would not display; only the formula I typed in.
 
Are the formula cells formatted as text? if so reformat as General and if
this does not work multiply by 0 e.g. right(d3,4)*0

Peter
 
Gord,

Your suggestion fixed the problem; but what does the F2+Enter really do?

Thanks to all for your suggestions and time.

Larry
 
F2 tells excel that you want to edit the contents/formula of that cell.

Hitting enter tells excel that you're done with the edit.

So excel sees that it should look at that cell and since it starts with an equal
sign and is formatted as General (not Text), that it should re-evaluate it as a
formula.
 
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