Zip + 4 format column then must double click to change - why?

[Guest]

When I format a column to be zip + 4 or phone numbers, I must first
double-click the cell(s) then press enter for the change to show up. Why?

 

[James Silverton]

Hello, dm!
You wrote on Mon, 11 Sep 2006 12:55:02 -0700:

d> When I format a column to be zip + 4 or phone numbers, I
d> must first double-click the cell(s) then press enter for the
d> change to show up. Why?

Is that so? I just tried an experiment and set a column of 9
digit numbers to be formatted as Zip +4. The cells changed
immediately.

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

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

 

[Dave Peterson]

Because your values in that cell isn't a number--it's text that's masquerading
as a number.

One way to fix a bunch of cells is:
select an empty cell
edit|copy
select the offending range
edit|Paste special|Add

and reformat it the way you want.

 

[Guest]

First copy a column of zip codes that has nine digit numbers and five digit
numbers. Paste it into another worksheet. Select Format, Special, zip + 4.
Nothing happens. Double click one of the cells and the format will change.
However, the five digits will appear as 0001-2345 rather than 12345. Is there
any way around this?

dm

 

[Guest]

My column contains both five digit and nine digit zip codes so your method
doesn't work on both of them. Thanks for trying.

dm