Prevent Scientific Notation

[robbyp]

I am running an Access program that exports data into an Excel spreadsheet.
The problem I am having is that I have a FedEx tracking # field that displays
in scientific notation because it's longer than 12 digits. Since this program
is automated I cannot count on someone to manually change this field to text
before the data is used.

Is there a way to prevent Excel from converting to scientific notation, or
at least change the amount of numbers that must be present before doing so?
Thanks.

 

[Bernard Liengme]

The problem is not converting to scientific. Even if the 'numbers' stayed as
General, the last few digits would be converted to zeros since Excel has
15-digit precision. If the 'numbers' are given to Excel as text then no
conversion will occur.
best wishes

 

[James Silverton]

Bernard wrote on Tue, 20 Feb 2007 10:47:10 -0400:

BL> The problem is not converting to scientific. Even if the
BL> 'numbers' stayed as General, the last few digits would be
BL> converted to zeros since Excel has 15-digit precision. If
BL> the 'numbers' are given to Excel as text then no conversion
BL> will occur. best wishes

BL> --
BL> Bernard V Liengme
BL> www.stfx.ca/people/bliengme
BL> remove caps from email

BL> message
??>> I am running an Access program that exports data into an
??>> Excel spreadsheet. The problem I am having is that I have
??>> a FedEx tracking # field that displays in scientific
??>> notation because it's longer than 12 digits. Since this
??>> program is automated I cannot count on someone to manually
??>> change this field to text before the data is used.

I wonder if some variant on custom formatting might work, eg.
00000000 00000000, the space is real?

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.comcast.not

 

[James Silverton]

James wrote to Bernard Liengme on Tue, 20 Feb 2007
09:55:39 -0500:

BL>> The problem is not converting to scientific. Even if the
BL>> 'numbers' stayed as General, the last few digits would be
BL>> converted to zeros since Excel has 15-digit precision. If
BL>> the 'numbers' are given to Excel as text then no
BL>> conversion will occur. best wishes

BL>> --
JS> I wonder if some variant on custom formatting might work,
JS> eg.
JS> 00000000 00000000, the space is real?

Tried my own idea and you are right, 15 digits is the limit!
Will formatting cells as text help? I know you could enter very
long string of numbers into cells in such a column and have them
preserved. There would be complications if the actual numbers
were to be needed for calculation but tracking numbers would
probably be used as is and could be sorted if necessary.

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.comcast.not