Excel problem - functions treated as text

[sbsbfan]

Hi,

This is what I did:
-Selected markets in guardian
-Connected it to the sample unchanged BetAngel_Multiple.xls
-Created a new sheet in the sample xls, where I wanted to create a summary

Problem: whenever I try to use ='Bet Angel'!B9 to grab the home team's name from the other sheet, it is treated as text instead of a function, thus obviusly it won't update.

On the other hand if I try to grab the odds from the other sheet, it does work.

I'm totally lost now, tried everything I can, reinstalled another version of excel, another language of excel, it doesn't help.

Am I missing something trivial here? (could be)
I can post the xls file or a screenshot if required.

Thanks for your help in advance.

[Euler]

Try using the format command to change the status of the cell to 'general' it sounds like it is formatted as 'text'.

[TheTub]

I have this problem all the time.

The solution is here - viewtopic.php?f=19&t=4530&p=33574#p33574

[sbsbfan]

Thx a lot. Works like a charm.

Topic can be closed.

[iris]

I met that problem before. a friend give me a web, he said you can find your answer and get what you want.
http://www.keepautomation.com/products/net_barcode/
i tried, and i find an interesting stuff, you can generate different kinds of barcode for Excel or Microsoft Office.

[fretinapaul]

Thanks a lot!! I have also faced the same problem. Happy that got the solution.

[mangetous]

I have encountered this problem too but changing the format doesn't seem to have an effect... is there anything else I can do? All I seem to be getting is #VALUE! whether its set as general or not.

[OnGoldWires]

I have encounted this myself and I have an alternative solution to Format as general, Right click, f2 mentioned in a separate thread.

I select the problem data, go to the DATA menu and convert to by the Text to Columns icon and selecting General data format in step 3 of the Wizard. This method means that you can only sort the problem on a column by column basis (but the problem is nornally confined to one column) and care has to be taken to ensure the data is not split into more columns, but otherwise it works like a charm.

[tico]

Hi all
It's a perennial problem in XL and should have been cleared up centuries ago when you consider the billions MS have made out of this glorified spreadsheet .
Regards
Tico.

[firlandsfarm]

I have a not the same but similar problem. When pasting a value containing commas into a cell Excel automatically converts it into 'text to columns' and spreads it over a range of columns. For example, if I copy a formula's text and paste it into another cell without relative cell references then if the formula contains commas (as most will) it is pasted in sections over multiple columns as text. I've tried formatting the cells as Text and General to no avail. The 'work around' is easy but frustrating when I forget to use it ... don't paste into the cell, paste into the cell edit window immediately below the 'ribbon'. It never used to be like that but I cannot find a setting that I suspect was inadvertently changed ... does anyone know why this may be so?

[jamesedwards]

I have a not the same but similar problem. When pasting a value containing commas into a cell Excel automatically converts it into 'text to columns' and spreads it over a range of columns. For example, if I copy a formula's text and paste it into another cell without relative cell references then if the formula contains commas (as most will) it is pasted in sections over multiple columns as text. I've tried formatting the cells as Text and General to no avail. The 'work around' is easy but frustrating when I forget to use it ... don't paste into the cell, paste into the cell edit window immediately below the 'ribbon'. It never used to be like that but I cannot find a setting that I suspect was inadvertently changed ... does anyone know why this may be so?

Sounds like you once set-up a 'text to column' delimiter as a comma?

Check that your 'text to column' settings look like this...

z341.jpg

[foxwood]

I have a not the same but similar problem. When pasting a value containing commas into a cell Excel automatically converts it into 'text to columns' and spreads it over a range of columns. For example, if I copy a formula's text and paste it into another cell without relative cell references then if the formula contains commas (as most will) it is pasted in sections over multiple columns as text. I've tried formatting the cells as Text and General to no avail. The 'work around' is easy but frustrating when I forget to use it ... don't paste into the cell, paste into the cell edit window immediately below the 'ribbon'. It never used to be like that but I cannot find a setting that I suspect was inadvertently changed ... does anyone know why this may be so?

You're lucky - I'm always pasting csv data in and it doesn't split it.

To modify the controls for it in the current session select a cell with some value in it (preferably without a comma) then go to Data -> Text to Columns -> Delimited -> Next -> untick "Comma" and click Finish. That sets the current mode.

After that, all your pastes should ignore the comma but (probably) only for the current session.

Problem for me seems to be there is no way of persisting that setting between sessions - for some reason mine is stuck on "ignore comma" !