Keyboard Formatting of a Cell

[mcp6453]

In another spreadsheet program long ago, it was possible to type an
apostrophe preceding text that is being entered into a numbers-formatted
cell, the the text was treated as text. For example, in Excel 2003, if I
type "04/04/08" in a General cell, Excel converts the entry to
"4/4/2008". If I typed "'04/04/08" (an apostrophe precedes the numbers
and slashes), the information was entered as text as if the cell were
separately formatted for text. Is there is similar capability in Excel?

 

[tim m]

Yep, same (at least in the test I just did). It will convert it to text. If
you have automatic error checking on it will note that it is a number or date
converted to text.

 

[Gary''s Student]

Should work the same way, but start with the single quote and omit both
double quotes.

 

[mcp6453]

Yep, same (at least in the test I just did). It will convert it to text. If
you have automatic error checking on it will note that it is a number or date
converted to text.

Strange. It's working for me, too, now.

Thanks