Stop excel from dropping the 0 in the beginning of a number?

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  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

I do a lot of spreadsheet with number that start with one or more zeros. Not
matter how many times I change the cel format to "text" so that the zeros are
not dropped, I find that as I go down the sheet, they are dropped and I have
to re-format the cels to "text" and replace the zeros.

How can I stop the program from dropping the initial zeros?
 
Maybe you could format the whole column as text.
I do a lot of spreadsheet with number that start with one or more zeros. Not
matter how many times I change the cel format to "text" so that the zeros are
not dropped, I find that as I go down the sheet, they are dropped and I have
to re-format the cels to "text" and replace the zeros.

How can I stop the program from dropping the initial zeros?
Click to expand...
 
Three ways:
1 - You can create a custom format (Format, Cells, Custom) and enter the
number of zeros that you want to see digits for.
Example, if you want to see a total of 4 digits, even if you only enter 2 or
3, enter a custom format like "0000". Excel will display "0012" when you
enter 12. Note that Excel only stores the 12, but displays it as 0012.

2 - Format the cell as Text

3 - Enter an apostorphe first, then the number - like '0012
Excel will not display the apostrophe, just the 0012.
Note that Excel will treat this as text, not a number - won't calculate
anything when it's formated as text.
 
This is exactly the problem I have in trying to save ISBN numbers which
often begin with a zero. I have tried all three methods you have suggested.
Once the text in the column appears correct, I save it in the xls format,
and can open it in excel correctly. But then I save it into the tab
delimited.txt file. When I open the text file in wordpad, I can see the
numbers are fine, with the leading zero correctly in place. Then I open
the file again in excel, and the zeros have been dropped. This is a
problem, because I must upload my books in a tab delimited file to Amazon,
but the zeros disappear, so they don't load my books.
Mo
 
That is hard to believe that you have to enter books with
ISBN numbers beginning with a zero to Amazon, the data is
there and they won't accept it. I would certainly ask Amazon
about that. I think you should be including hyphens in those
numbers not as part of formatting but change them to text
with the hyphens. (just a guess)

a1: 0123456789
b1: =TEXT(A1,"0-0000-0000-0")

BTW, I sure others might want to know if that is the solution or
something else.
 
I am glad that someone else has also tried the 3 solutions that were
suggested without success. In my case, the some of the numbers start with
zeros and some do not, depending on the OEM- which eliminates the "special
formatting" option. Unfortunately, the various OEM's are not isolated, but
combined in the same columns. Also, if the number is alpha-numeric, Excel
sometimes changes the format to scientific- even after the sheet has been
proofed and saved.

Is there no way to format all the cells in a sheet in the "text" format and
make it stick?
 
How are you saving the file? Are you saving as XLS or resaving as CSV or TXT?


:I am glad that someone else has also tried the 3 solutions that were
: suggested without success. In my case, the some of the numbers start with
: zeros and some do not, depending on the OEM- which eliminates the "special
: formatting" option. Unfortunately, the various OEM's are not isolated, but
: combined in the same columns. Also, if the number is alpha-numeric, Excel
: sometimes changes the format to scientific- even after the sheet has been
: proofed and saved.
:
: Is there no way to format all the cells in a sheet in the "text" format and
: make it stick?
:
: "Mo" wrote:
:
: > This is exactly the problem I have in trying to save ISBN numbers which
: > often begin with a zero. I have tried all three methods you have suggested.
: > Once the text in the column appears correct, I save it in the xls format,
: > and can open it in excel correctly. But then I save it into the tab
: > delimited.txt file. When I open the text file in wordpad, I can see the
: > numbers are fine, with the leading zero correctly in place. Then I open
: > the file again in excel, and the zeros have been dropped. This is a
: > problem, because I must upload my books in a tab delimited file to Amazon,
: > but the zeros disappear, so they don't load my books.
: > Mo
: >
: > : > > Three ways:
: > > 1 - You can create a custom format (Format, Cells, Custom) and enter the
: > > number of zeros that you want to see digits for.
: > > Example, if you want to see a total of 4 digits, even if you only enter 2
: > > or
: > > 3, enter a custom format like "0000". Excel will display "0012" when you
: > > enter 12. Note that Excel only stores the 12, but displays it as 0012.
: > >
: > > 2 - Format the cell as Text
: > >
: > > 3 - Enter an apostorphe first, then the number - like '0012
: > > Excel will not display the apostrophe, just the 0012.
: > > Note that Excel will treat this as text, not a number - won't calculate
: > > anything when it's formated as text.
: > > --
: > > George
: > >
: > >
: > > "Rosewood" wrote:
: > >
: > >> I do a lot of spreadsheet with number that start with one or more zeros.
: > >> Not
: > >> matter how many times I change the cel format to "text" so that the zeros
: > >> are
: > >> not dropped, I find that as I go down the sheet, they are dropped and I
: > >> have
: > >> to re-format the cels to "text" and replace the zeros.
: > >>
: > >> How can I stop the program from dropping the initial zeros?
: >
: >
: >
 
I am saving it as XLS file.

**Gail** said:
How are you saving the file? Are you saving as XLS or resaving as CSV or TXT?


:I am glad that someone else has also tried the 3 solutions that were
: suggested without success. In my case, the some of the numbers start with
: zeros and some do not, depending on the OEM- which eliminates the "special
: formatting" option. Unfortunately, the various OEM's are not isolated, but
: combined in the same columns. Also, if the number is alpha-numeric, Excel
: sometimes changes the format to scientific- even after the sheet has been
: proofed and saved.
:
: Is there no way to format all the cells in a sheet in the "text" format and
: make it stick?
:
: "Mo" wrote:
:
: > This is exactly the problem I have in trying to save ISBN numbers which
: > often begin with a zero. I have tried all three methods you have suggested.
: > Once the text in the column appears correct, I save it in the xls format,
: > and can open it in excel correctly. But then I save it into the tab
: > delimited.txt file. When I open the text file in wordpad, I can see the
: > numbers are fine, with the leading zero correctly in place. Then I open
: > the file again in excel, and the zeros have been dropped. This is a
: > problem, because I must upload my books in a tab delimited file to Amazon,
: > but the zeros disappear, so they don't load my books.
: > Mo
: >
: > : > > Three ways:
: > > 1 - You can create a custom format (Format, Cells, Custom) and enter the
: > > number of zeros that you want to see digits for.
: > > Example, if you want to see a total of 4 digits, even if you only enter 2
: > > or
: > > 3, enter a custom format like "0000". Excel will display "0012" when you
: > > enter 12. Note that Excel only stores the 12, but displays it as 0012.
: > >
: > > 2 - Format the cell as Text
: > >
: > > 3 - Enter an apostorphe first, then the number - like '0012
: > > Excel will not display the apostrophe, just the 0012.
: > > Note that Excel will treat this as text, not a number - won't calculate
: > > anything when it's formated as text.
: > > --
: > > George
: > >
: > >
: > > "Rosewood" wrote:
: > >
: > >> I do a lot of spreadsheet with number that start with one or more zeros.
: > >> Not
: > >> matter how many times I change the cel format to "text" so that the zeros
: > >> are
: > >> not dropped, I find that as I go down the sheet, they are dropped and I
: > >> have
: > >> to re-format the cels to "text" and replace the zeros.
: > >>
: > >> How can I stop the program from dropping the initial zeros?
: >
: >
: >
Click to expand...
 
You could convert to text directly, but it would not help your situation.
Select the cells you want formatted as Text -- generally an entire column.
Format, Cells, Number, Text

Even though you have formatted as text they do not instantly become text.
They become text when you reenter the information, i.e. F2, Enter

However --
Since your problem is one of missing zeros the above is not going to help you,
because the number not the formatted number will be converted to text.

I previously suggested use of a helper (intermediate) column
B1: =TEXT(A1,"0-0000-0000-0")
You would then have to convert that helper column to text as formatted,
and therein lies the problem. You will need a macro to convert the
helper column to values based on it's text value. Or you could start
by formatting the original column with
Format, Cells, Number, custom, 0-0000-0000-0.
Then format as text which will be ignored until reentered.

Then select the column
Copy (Ctrl+C), Edit, Paste Special, Values

You can do the entire thing at once with a macro, a macro that could
be easily modified is
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/join.htm#fixUSzip5
simply change the format, and change or eliminate length testing.
 
I format the Excel ISBN column to the 10 zeros, everything is cool; I set
the column to "text", and save it, first to Excel, and then to the tab
delimited .txtfile.
When I open the file I saved in the .xls format, the ten digits appear with
the leading zero.
Then I open the .txt file in Excel using the text import wizard, and in Step
3, set the column to be imported as text, the numbers are fine, all ten
digits appear.
Okay, then I open the same .txt file in Excel, but make no changes in the
text import wizard. The zeros have disappeared, the column has shrunk, so
that there is garbage in it, but when I expand it, I get the ISBN numbers,
WITHOUT the leading zeros.
My problem is that it is the .txt file I upload to Amazon, and they are
getting it without the leading zero. I have communicated ad nauseum with
them, and they keep giving me the same advice, which doesn't work.
Thanks to you all for the advice. I appreciate it.
Mo
 
After creating the .txt file from Excel why are you reimporting it into Excel,
you are only creating this file for the use of Amazon.

To create the file from Excel you have the have the columns as text and
when you save the file File, Save As, CSV file MS-DOS should work.
I doubt very much that you want to create a Tab delimited file, people usually
create comma separated values files. Amazon may or may not accept
the CSV extension you can change it to .txt

If you do import the file into Excel you have to select each column and
indicate Text during the Test import wizard (.txt extension on a CSV file)
or open a new sheet and use Data, Import external data, import data
then choose comma which should be the delimiter that you used,
on the next panel select a column and on the right indicate Text.
But again, why are you reading the file created for Amazon back into Excel.

If Amazon still cannot read the file and you have the leading zeros in the file,
they you probably don't have the right directions. If the ten digits were
formatted as 0-0000-0000-0 then that would not be read into Excel
as a number and possibly not by Amazon. If you put anything into the
column to make it not a number like asterisks. Do you have a file that
worked -- can you get a sample file that works from Amazon and check
that. .

Do you have an Amazon page reference indicating what they want.
 
I reimported it into Excel to see what would happen when Amazon received it.
Perhaps they do it some other way. They specify tab-delimited. My ten
digit number has no hyphens in it.
I will try your other suggestions. Thanks.
Mo
 
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