format cells

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Len B - 18 Jun 2007 23:53 GMT

I have solved this so it is just my curiosity at play here.

Using someone else's sheet, I entered a formula (=D235/80) into a cell
expecting a numeric result not realizing that the cell was formatted as Text
(so I got to see the formula as text). So I changed the cell format to
Number with 4 places.

To my surprise, the cell still displayed the formula. I looked for a leading
' or space but there was none. Retyping the formula produced the result I
expected in the first place.

What is going on?

TIA
Len
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Dave Peterson - 19 Jun 2007 00:20 GMT

Changing the format of a cell doesn't change its underlying value.

Essentially, you're telling excel that the _next_ time you make a change to that
cell, then use the numberformat.

Same thing happens if you format a range as Text, then type in numbers. Those
values are text to excel. Simply changing the numberformat back to
General/Number isn't enough to change the value. You have to do something else.

> I have solved this so it is just my curiosity at play here.
>
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> Len
> ______________________________________________________

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Dave Peterson

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Gary''s Student - 19 Jun 2007 00:26 GMT

Just changing the format from Text to General does not change the cell. Once
the format has changed either re-type or:

F2
ENTER

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Gary''s Student - gsnu200731

> I have solved this so it is just my curiosity at play here.
>
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> Len
> ______________________________________________________

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Len B - 19 Jun 2007 02:05 GMT

Thanks guys,
I realized that the contents must still have been text.
That's why I looked for leading space etc.

Wish I had thought of F2. That would have made me catch on.
Thanks again
Len
______________________________________________________

>I have solved this so it is just my curiosity at play here.
>
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> Len
> ______________________________________________________

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