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

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

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?
 
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
 
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.
 
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
 
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
 
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