XL: Replacing Text May Change Text to Numbers or Dates

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
• Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 5.0, 5.0a
• Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition

SYMPTOMS

In the versions of Microsoft Excel listed at the beginning of this article, if you replace characters in a worksheet by clicking Replace on the Edit menu, the formatting of some cells in the worksheet may unexpectedly be changed. For example:

   What Should Appear      What Actually Appears
   -----------------------------------------------------

   2:30:00 (as text)       2:30:00 (as a time)
   3/8 (as text)           8-Mar or 3-Aug (as a date)
   9e5 (as text)           9.00E+05 (scientific notation)

CAUSE

This problem may occur when text is being replaced in a cell and the contents of the cell resembles a number, date, or time. If the contents of a cell resembles a number, date, or time, Microsoft Excel automatically applies an appropriate number format to the cell, even if the cell was previously formatted to display text.

WORKAROUND

Microsoft Excel will not automatically reformat cells if the Transition Formula Entry (TFE) option is turned on. To turn on this option, follow these steps:

1. On the Tools menu, click Options. Select the Transition tab.

2. Click to select the Transition Formula Entry check box. Click OK.

3. On the Edit menu, click Replace. Use the Replace dialog box to replace text as needed in the worksheet. Click Close when you are finished.

4. On the Tools menu, click Options. Select the Transition tab.

5. Click to clear the Transition Formula Entry check box. Click OK.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

The following example demonstrates the problem described in the "Symptoms" section.

1. In Microsoft Excel, create a new workbook.

2. In Sheet1, select cells A1:A5. On the Format menu, click Cells. Select the Number tab. In the Category list, select Text. Then, click OK.

   Cells A1:A5 are now formatted to display text.

3. Enter the following values:

         A1: 3/8"
         A2: 2:30"
         A3: 6e5"
   

         A5: 95
   

4. On the Edit menu, click Replace.

5. In the Find What edit box, enter a single quotation mark ("). Do not enter any text in the Replace With edit box. Then, click Replace All.

   The contents and formatting of the cells are changed as follows

         A1: 8-Mar (or 3-Aug, depending on your regional settings)
         A2: 2:30
         A3: 6.00E+05
   

   even though the cells were originally formatted to display text. Cell A1 was changed from 3/8" to 3/8. Because 3/8 resembles a date, Microsoft Excel automatically applies a date format to the cell. The same rule applies to cell A2, which resembles a time, and cell A3, which resembles a number entered using scientific notation.

6. Select cell A5.

7. On the Edit menu, click Replace.

8. In the Find What edit box, enter the number 9. In the Replace With edit box, type "9e" (without the quotation marks). Then, click Replace.

   Cell A5 displays 9.00E+05, rather than 9e5, even though cell A5 was originally formatted to display text.

9. Click Close.