Lan Barnes wrote:
On Mon, Oct 16, 2006 at 01:01:59PM -0700, Carl Lowenstein wrote:
Oh. Penny drops. Can't you specify that the column in the
spreadsheet is of type alpha, not type numeric?
That is what I'm asking.
Formatting the cells to alpha only affects new data. The data already
input as numeric stays numeric, at least with every spreadsheet I've
ever used.
So, Lan, if you're going to change each cell by prefixing with "x", I
don't know which would be easier.
Here's an idea. If you know how to use macros (personally haven't used
them since early Lotus123), create an empty column next to your numeric
one. Format the column's numeric entry to text. Select the first cell
containing a numeric you wish converted. Turn on the macro recording.
Then:
Select editing the cell (usually "F2").
Highlight the entire contents.
Select copy.
Escape from editing that cell.
Change selection one cell to the right (or wherever it is).
Select editing this cell (previously formatted for text).
Choose paste.
Hit enter. (This will end edit mode of that cell.)
(On some spreadsheets, this will move down one cell.)
Change selection to the next numeric cell you want converted.
Repeat these steps however many times you like.
Stop the macro recording.
Then just run the macro as many times as you need to convert all your
numbers to text. If you just copy the cell, the format will be copied
as well. These steps go completely inside the formatting and just get
the ascii itself. It does not regard it as numbers or anything else,
just ascii. There may be a way around this other than the macro I just
recommended. But if there is, I don't know it. And I would like to.
I've never done this by macro. I haven't had the need. My need for it
was always so small that I just did the whole process by hand, much the
same way that you are adding a prefixing "x" by hand. I figured that by
the time I learned how to do a macro, I could be done. But having done
this a few times, I'm starting to lean more toward learning to macro.
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