numeric value is not formatting correctly

[Fam via OfficeKB.com]

Hello everybody,
I have one small problem. Hope someone can shed some light on.
I'm using =LEFT(A2,5) fuction to extract some numeric values. Once the value
is extracted in different cell (let say C2), the value in C2 is not
formatting correctly. And what I mean by that is that the $ sign or "," is
not applicable to format the extracted value. Yes, once you over write it, it
will format like $ 23.00 but you have to overwite it. Now I have atleast over
a thousand rows and it will take lot of time if I have to do cell by cell. Is
there is way that I can highlight the extracted values and somehow able to
format correctly?
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Fam

 

[Guest]

Hi

Try this. Copy an empty, unused cell. Select the range of 'numbers' and then
Edit/Paste Special/Add
Make a backup before you start!

Hope this helps.
Andy.

 

[Bernard Liengme]

That is because the LEFT function returns text: you may have 23.00 but it is
still text made up of digits.
To coerce a numeric value you need to 'do some math' on the result. So any
of these work:
=--LEFT(A2,5) 'preferred
=LEFT(A2,5)*1
=LEFT(A2,5)+0
best wishes

 

[Fam via OfficeKB.com]

Andy, thanks for the reponse.
I did not get it. Can you please eloborate little more?
Thanks

wrote:

Hi

Try this. Copy an empty, unused cell. Select the range of 'numbers' and then
Edit/Paste Special/Add
Make a backup before you start!

Hope this helps.
Andy.

Hello everybody,
I have one small problem. Hope someone can shed some light on.

[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]

Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Fam

 

[Fam via OfficeKB.com]

Thank you guys.
It worked perfectly.

That is because the LEFT function returns text: you may have 23.00 but it is
still text made up of digits.
To coerce a numeric value you need to 'do some math' on the result. So any
of these work:
=--LEFT(A2,5) 'preferred
=LEFT(A2,5)*1
=LEFT(A2,5)+0
best wishes

Hello everybody,
I have one small problem. Hope someone can shed some light on.

[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]

Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Fam