Can you change the default cell format in Excel?

[TommyP]

Hi all,

If I try to load a csv file and it contains a number like 1E123 excel treats it as scientific notation.

Is it possible to change Excel's default cell format "Text" instead of "General"?

TIA

TommyP

 

[PaulRD]

Here is the best I could find in the excel NG, posted by Kim...
<<
Kim Mitchell May 29 2003, 10:34 am
The bad news is I don't know how to change the default format to text. A
work-around would be to change the file extension from CSV to TXT. Then
when you open the file, you will get a wizard which will allow you to set
the format for each column.

Kim
>>

If you want it more automated, you could write a macro into a file that would import your csv file.


Paul D
pimpin' aint easy

 

[KenWright]

That's the way to do it

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[xlbo]

Certainly is - the issue is not really Excel's fault - it is people using CSV files and not understanding that CSV stands for Comma Seperated Values - hence Excel assumes that everything in the file is a value - that is why csv files do not go through the import wizard

Rgds, Geoff

"Three things are certain: Death, taxes and lost data. Guess which has occurred"

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