How do I enter NUMBERS with leading zeros In Excel ie 001, 002 ?

[Guest]

see subject. I am using Office 2003 and wish to log series of 3 - 5 digit
serial numbers and also record similar numbers in randonm order but excel
persists in deleting leading zeros unless I enter the figures as as text.
Thanks.

 

[Guest]

A "number" with a leading zero IS text, not a real number. Entering it as
TextFormat will preserve it's state. If you want to enter a "real number"
and make it look like it has a leading zero, that can be done with Custom
Formatting.

hth
Vaya con Dios,
Chuck, CABGx3

 

[Ron Rosenfeld]

see subject. I am using Office 2003 and wish to log series of 3 - 5 digit
serial numbers and also record similar numbers in randonm order but excel
persists in deleting leading zeros unless I enter the figures as as text.
Thanks.

You must either enter them as text or custom format the cell.

For example, Format/Cells/Number/Custom Type: "000" or "00000"

If you custom format the cells as above, you will not need to enter the leading
zero's.

If you want to enter a variable number of leading zeros, unless there is some
method of determining the correct number of leading zero's, you will have to
enter as text.
--ron

 

[Guest]

Thanks Ron, I tried many ways and got close in CUSTOM but entering 000
without the " " works fine. Cheers, Bob.

 

[Guest]

Thanks Chuck, I had tried CUSTOMising but Ron gave me the right clue but it
only works without the " " quotes.
Cheers,
Bob.

 

[Ron Rosenfeld]

Thanks Ron, I tried many ways and got close in CUSTOM but entering 000
without the " " works fine. Cheers, Bob.

Sorry for the Quote confusion.

You are correct in that you should be omitting the quote marks.


--ron