Hi Jean Add numbers formatted as strings to your spreadsheet. For example: in cell A1: '1 in cell A2: '2 in cell A3: =SUM(A1:A2) A3 shows the value 0, because A1 and A2 are strings. Doing the find and replace as described reenters A1 and A2 as numbers, so A3 shows the value of 3.
I hope that helps. Regards, Gareth On Sat, Jan 22, 2011 at 6:17 PM, Jean Hollis Weber <jeanwe...@gmail.com> wrote: > I found this page on the wiki, > http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wiki/Documentation/How_Tos/Regular_Expressions_in_Calc#Regular_expressions_in_Calc_Find_.26_Replace > > At the bottom of the page is this info: > > "Find '.+' (or similar) and Replace with '&' effectively re-enters the > contents of cells. This can be used to 'strip' formatting automatically > applied by Calc (often needed to 'clean' data imported from the > clipboard or badly formatted files), for example, to convert text > strings consisting of digits, into actual numbers (the cells must first > be correctly formatted 'number'). The leading apostrophes, telling Calc > to treat the numbers as text, are removed." > > I'm obviously missing something crucial about what to put into my test > spreadsheet and what to put into the Find and Replace boxes on the > dialog, because I get no change at all. Can someone please explain this > in different terms, or (better still) give a specific example? Thanks. > > --Jean > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: dev-unsubscr...@documentation.openoffice.org > For additional commands, e-mail: dev-h...@documentation.openoffice.org > > -- Black Sphere Technologies Ltd. Web: www.blacksphere.co.nz Mobile: +64 27 777 2182 Tel: +64 9 478 8885 Skype: gareth.mcmullin LinkedIn: http://nz.linkedin.com/in/gsmcmullin --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: dev-unsubscr...@documentation.openoffice.org For additional commands, e-mail: dev-h...@documentation.openoffice.org
