The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 2.1, 2.5 and 3.0
- Microsoft Excel for OS/2, version 3.0
Summary:
After manipulating a dBASE file in Q+E, numeric fields will import as
text when the file is reopened in Microsoft Excel if the first field
in a numeric column is blank.
More Information:
If the first field in a column of a dBASE file is blank, the field
type will default to Character in Q+E. Then in Q+E, even if numbers
are entered into the field and it is taken back to Microsoft Excel,
the fields will appear as text.
Workarounds
- Enter a value in the first field before modifying the file in
Q+E.
-or-
- Convert the entry in cell A2 to a number, after returning to
Microsoft Excel.
a. Select A2.
b. Press the Edit Key (F2) and press ENTER.
-or-
- The third is to define the column type in Q+E.
a. From the File menu, choose Define.
b. Select the Field name and change the type from Character to
Numeric.
c. Exit Q+E, saving the changes. This option will allow you to
convert the entire column to numeric, without having to change
each record individually.
Steps to Reproduce Problem
- Enter the following in Microsoft Excel:
A1 Age
A2
A3 4
A4 6
- Select A1:A4 and choose Set Database from the Data menu.
- Save the file in the dBase file format and open it in Q+E.
- Choose Allow Editing from the Edit menu.
- Enter a number in the blank field and close the file.
- Reopen the file in Microsoft Excel.
- Enter "=SUM(A2:A4)" (without the quotation marks) in cell A5.
This result is 0.
Reference(s):
"Q+E for Microsoft Excel," version 3.0, pages 45-47
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