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Changing numbers to text

Submitted by dawsy on 10 February, 2009 - 09:59

I'm hoping you can help as this problem is really annoying me! I'm trying to change a column of numbers into text format. I right click, choose Format and Text but the cells don't register that they are now text unless I click in them. Is there any way to force the cells to become text?

Many thanks!

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Try TEXT function

Submitted by Cyril Myshkin on 9 December, 2009 - 08:41.

 =TEXT(your_number,0)

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Nick's picture

Changing numbers to text

Submitted by Nick on 10 February, 2009 - 17:53.

Are you able to attach a sample file ?

To format as text, right click, format cells => text
I suspect you've done that..

Why do you think it's not text, and what are you actually trying to achieve ?

... the most common cause of data behaving badly on a sheet is when it's imported from a database, and contains odd characters that are not shown by Excel. To try to eliminate this, select the column of data, and go: Data => Text To Columns => Finish

NOTE: Numbers formatted as text appear on the left:
format-numbers-as-text-excel

format numbers as text excel sheet

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Changing numbers to text

Submitted by houchie on 12 February, 2009 - 04:57.

This does not necessarily work.
You need to follow the process including: click 'fixed with', followed by next, followed by next, then click 'text, then click finish.

If you do it your way, it seems still not to become text.

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Vishesh's picture

Number to Text

Submitted by Vishesh on 9 January, 2010 - 22:03.

 Use the formula: 

=A1&""

It doesnt matter what the format of Cell A1 is.

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