Date Format Challenge

  • Thread starter Thread starter Michael
  • Start date Start date
M

Michael

Hi Folks - I'm using Excel 2002. Try this challenge in a new blank
worksheet:

Enter 10:15 in A1
Enter 10:30 in A2
Enter 10:45 in A3

Enter 1 in A4

Excel will automatically treat the 1 as a date. Why? I did not format the
column as a date. Or, is Excel looking at the previous entries and assumes I
need a date.

Thansk.

Mike
 
Not for me, if I do that it returns 00:00 in A4 as expected since it thinks
I enter times and 1 is 24/24
 
Excel 2002 appears to be a bit quirky here.
If I enter 10:15, 10:30, and 10:45 in cells A1, A2, and A3 and 1 in A4, I
get 0:00 in A4 -- time format.
If I enter 10:15 in B1, 10:30 in B2, and 1 in B3, I get 1 in B3 -- general
format.
If I enter 10:15 in C1 and 1 in C2, I get 0:00 in C2 -- time format again.

Hardly seems consistent to me... Perhaps Microsoft is following Emerson's
philosophy -- "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds."

Quattro Pro, on the other hand, will put the expected 1 in A4, B3, and C2.

Bill
 
I should have been more specific .... When I entered 1 in A4, it formatted
it as date/time format, 1/1/1900 12:00:00 AM. I understand why A4 would
display that formatting IF I HAD FORMATTED THAT CELL FOR DATE/TIME (not
yelling here, just emphasing, <grin>). What I don't understand is why Excel
formatted A4 as date/time. Any ideas?

Mike
 
In Excel 2000 this is set in the 'Tools', 'Options', 'Edit' tab unde
option 'Extend list formats and formulas. If unchecked it enters dat
as entered instead of formatted
 
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