We are trying to type a number range in a cell in an excel 2002 spread 
sheet, ex. '10-20' (without the quotes).

When we leave the cell, it defaults to date format, '20-Oct'.

When we change the format of the cell to number or general, it fills in 
with '40471'.

What can we do to get the cell to display literally what we type in it?

Thanks.

Pre format as text
-- 
Don Guillett
Microsoft MVP Excel
SalesAid Software
dguillett@gmail.com
"capitan" <me69@privacy.com> wrote in message 
news:hr9ie0$qlm$1@speranza.aioe.org...
> We are trying to type a number range in a cell in an excel 2002 spread 
> sheet, ex. '10-20' (without the quotes).
>
> When we leave the cell, it defaults to date format, '20-Oct'.
>
> When we change the format of the cell to number or general, it fills in 
> with '40471'.
>
> What can we do to get the cell to display literally what we type in it?
>
> Thanks. 

"capitan" <me69@privacy.com> wrote:
> We are trying to type a number range in a cell in an
> excel 2002 spread sheet, ex. '10-20' (without the quotes).

Try entering the text with a leading apostrophe, i.e. literally '10-20 .

I do not have Excel 2002.

But in Excel 2003, the leading apostrophe is metasyntax that tells Excel not 
to interpret the remaining text.  The apostrophe is not part of the text. 
The apostrophe does not appear when Excel displays the cell value.  And you 
would write IF(A1="10-20",TRUE), not IF(A1="'10-20",TRUE).

Since your are entering text, you might also want to adjust the Alignment 
format for the cells.

Alteratively, format the cell or column as Text before entering any values.


----- original message -----

"capitan" <me69@privacy.com> wrote in message 
news:hr9ie0$qlm$1@speranza.aioe.org...
> We are trying to type a number range in a cell in an excel 2002 spread 
> sheet, ex. '10-20' (without the quotes).
>
> When we leave the cell, it defaults to date format, '20-Oct'.
>
> When we change the format of the cell to number or general, it fills in 
> with '40471'.
>
> What can we do to get the cell to display literally what we type in it?
>
> Thanks. 

On 4/28/2010 10:43 AM, Joe User wrote:
> "capitan" <me69@privacy.com> wrote:
>> We are trying to type a number range in a cell in an
>> excel 2002 spread sheet, ex. '10-20' (without the quotes).
>
> Try entering the text with a leading apostrophe, i.e. literally '10-20 .
>
> I do not have Excel 2002.
>
> But in Excel 2003, the leading apostrophe is metasyntax that tells Excel
> not to interpret the remaining text. The apostrophe is not part of the
> text. The apostrophe does not appear when Excel displays the cell value.
> And you would write IF(A1="10-20",TRUE), not IF(A1="'10-20",TRUE).
>
> Since your are entering text, you might also want to adjust the
> Alignment format for the cells.
>
> Alteratively, format the cell or column as Text before entering any values.

This worked.  Thank you!

>
>
> ----- original message -----
>
> "capitan" <me69@privacy.com> wrote in message
> news:hr9ie0$qlm$1@speranza.aioe.org...
>> We are trying to type a number range in a cell in an excel 2002 spread
>> sheet, ex. '10-20' (without the quotes).
>>
>> When we leave the cell, it defaults to date format, '20-Oct'.
>>
>> When we change the format of the cell to number or general, it fills
>> in with '40471'.
>>
>> What can we do to get the cell to display literally what we type in it?
>>
>> Thanks.
>