Subtracting dates in Excel 2003

[Pete]

I'm trying to subtract dates in E2003, but I'm getting a date as the output:
1/17/2007-11/3/2005 gives me not a number of days but 3/15/1901.

Any suggestions?

 

[Steve Yandl]

Pete,

Select the cell with your formula. Click the 'Format' drop down and select
'Cells' and you should have the 'Number' tab selected. Change the format to
a number with no places to the right of the decimal and OK your way out.

Steve

 

[Pete]

Cool. So why doesn't Office Help mention this tidbit?
--
Thanks!

Pete.

Pete,

Select the cell with your formula. Click the 'Format' drop down and select
'Cells' and you should have the 'Number' tab selected. Change the format to
a number with no places to the right of the decimal and OK your way out.

Steve

 

[J. Sperry]

The help file mentions it in a note at the bottom of "Calculate the
difference between two dates" (Excel 2003). The problem is that Excel is
automatically formatting your calculation as a date, since the underying
cells are dates. This assumption Excel makes is nearly never correct when
running a calculation on two dates.

Cool. So why doesn't Office Help mention this tidbit?