Re: [libreoffice-users] CALC convert text to numbers

On Sun, 17 Nov 2013 13:54:59 -0700
Oogie McGuire <oogiem@desertweyr.com> wrote:

> What I am used to doing in Excel is copy everything in, then format
> the cells to be numbers and they are converted to numbers and my
> formula work.
Really? I'm surprised. I didn't know Excel did this conversion just on
formatting. In LO you can use "Text to Columns" instead, surely?
> Or if I know they are text (but there is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY TO SEE
> THAT IN LO)
How would you see it in Excel? I recall the display in Excel being the
same as in LO. The only difference between digits that are text and
digits that are numbers is in the justification.

> All the discussions about the leading apostrophe are great but I
> still can't see it in LO nor can I remove it.
Cell by cell you can remove it, which is just the same as I remember
Excel working. You can see it, and remove it, in the input line per
cell. You can't see it in the actual cells, but you can't in Excel
either, as I recall.

> Yes, I got around the problem this time by creating a dummy column as
> described many messages ago, but the fact remains that it is neither
> easy to change nor easy to see when numbers are formatted as text in
> LO and coming from MsOffice this causes lots of problems. 
Again, I'm puzzled by the implication that it is easier to see in
Excel. I recall it being the same in Excel as in LO, you see it from
the justification, unless that has been altered for the cells in
question.

As for changing it, it's pretty easy with the "Text to Columns"
functionality; I really can't think of a more straightforward way.
You're right that the paste and multiply trick doesn't work, but that
still has to be done as an extra step doesn't it? You first paste the
contents of the old sheet into the new sheet, then create a dummy cell
holding a single 1, then copy this and paste it over the new cells,
setting it to multiply. Surely this takes just as long, if not longer,
than the "Text to COlumns" method?

I agree the paste and multiply trick should work, but I'm just trying
to understand why you say LO is harder to change the data type, and
especially why you say it is harder to see the data type.

Paul

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