HOW DO YOU TYPE - OR + IN EXCEL WITHOUT CREATING A FORMULA?

[Guest]

How do you type +, - etc in a cell without Excel automatically assuming that
you want to create a formula?

 

[Guest]

Put an apostrophe to the left of the symbol.

Example: '+

You will see the apostrophe in the formula bar, but not in the cell. The
cell will only show +

Dave

 

[Guest]

hi,

format the cell as text before type or use " ' " (no quotes) before the text

hth
--
regards from Brazil
Thanks in advance for your feedback.
Marcelo



"jools" escreveu:

 

[Guest]

hi,

format the cell as text or type " ' " (no quotes) before the + or - etc.

hth
--
regards from Brazil
Thanks in advance for your feedback.
Marcelo



"jools" escreveu:

 

[James Silverton]

Hello, Marcelo!
You wrote on Tue, 19 Sep 2006 07:03:02 -0700:

M> format the cell as text or type " ' " (no quotes) before the
M> + or - etc.

M> hth
M> --
M> regards from Brazil
M> Thanks in advance for your feedback.
M> Marcelo

M> "jools" escreveu:

??>> How do you type +, - etc in a cell without Excel
??>> automatically assuming that you want to create a formula?

The advice to use ....'.... is obviously correct but when does
the problem arise? I was interested enough to see what happens
so I typed

I just want see + or -

into a general cell in a new worksheet. What I typed is what I
got so I wonder if the problem is not with embedded operators
but perhaps those at the beginning.


James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.comcast.not

 

[Guest]

The problem occurs when mathematical operators are the first character on the
left.

If you were to type something like "two + two = four" Excel's calculation
engine would ignore the + and = signs.

However, if you were to type "-2 + 2 = 0" and you wanted to retain that
text, you would have to put an apostrophe to the left of the - sign,
otherwise, Excel would resolve the above statement to TRUE.

Dave