formatting issue- date format dominates

L

learningaccess

Hi,

I'm trying to put general numbers in a column as follows : 0, 1, 2-3 and 4+.

2-3 keeps changing to Feb 3rd no matter that I keep formatting General.

How can I stop this? Please help!

Thanks,
Chris
 
P

Peo Sjoblom

precede the entry with an apostrophe ' or format as text


--


Regards,


Peo Sjoblom
 
L

learningaccess

thank you, but i need the format in general for a map point application. map
point won't map 2-3 and 4+ as text but it worked no problem the other day
with general format.

Why won't general format stick?
 
P

Peo Sjoblom

2-3 is not a number in Excel so Excel guesses what you are trying to do and
it guesses that you are trying to enter a date. Btw, why would you need
general format?


--


Regards,


Peo Sjoblom
 
L

learningaccess

Someone please help! I just need the following in general format:

0, 1, 2-3 and 4+

2-3 keeps changing to Feb 3rd. I just need 2-3 and 4+ in General number
format. Worked the other day ... no problem. Don't know what the deal is
today.


Thank you.
 
S

Stephen

You have already received an explanation of this. In Excel, 2-3 and 4+ are
NOT numbers. You cannot enter 2-3 in General format (except preceded by an
apostrophe) without it going wrong. Whatever you did "the other day" was no
different - you have just confused yourself.
 
L

learningaccess

Wow... someone is in a bad mood! Have you heard of email etiquette? Really,
there is no need to be so nasty.

I had no problems doing this in general the other day. Get a personality.
 
P

Peo Sjoblom

No offense but I am pretty sure you are wrong, I have never heard of anyone
being able to bypass
this limitation and it also doesn't make any sense that it would work one
day but not the other.
2-3 would always convert to a date but if you use 13-3 then it will stay the
same because it cannot be interpreted as a date using US default regional
settings.
You still haven't answer why you would need general formatting for this, how
come map point would need a specific format?


--


Regards,


Peo Sjoblom
 
F

Fred Smith

You need to look in a mirror. You want free, accurate advice, and you are
getting it. What more do you want? You're welcome to take your business
elsewhere. But if you follow the advice given in this newsgroup, no matter how
it's worded, you will never go wrong.
 
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