copy/paste into excel changes numbers into date format

I need to copy a lot of raw data from html format into
excel.

Most of the data consists of a min/max figure (eg. 31/45)

Excel (2003) always converts this number to date format
no matter what I format the cells as. I have been
unsuccesful in converting back to the same format.

Any help or advice is appreciated.
Thanks

Hi
try formating the cell s as 'Text' before pasting the values

--
Regards
Frank Kabel
Frankfurt, Germany


Rufus wrote:
I need to copy a lot of raw data from html format into
excel.

Most of the data consists of a min/max figure (eg. 31/45)

Excel (2003) always converts this number to date format
no matter what I format the cells as. I have been
unsuccesful in converting back to the same format.

Any help or advice is appreciated.
Thanks

Thanks for the reply, however even if I select the cells
and format as text, as soon as I paste the copied
information into excel it still converts into date format.


-----Original Message-----
Hi
try formating the cell s as 'Text' before pasting the
values

--
Regards
Frank Kabel
Frankfurt, Germany


Rufus wrote:
I need to copy a lot of raw data from html format into
excel.

Most of the data consists of a min/max figure (eg.
31/45)

Excel (2003) always converts this number to date format
no matter what I format the cells as. I have been
unsuccesful in converting back to the same format.

Any help or advice is appreciated.
Thanks
.

If you format the cell(s) as text, then instead of just pasting, try:

Edit|Paste special
choose Text

(You should see a different paste special dialog show up, since you're copying
from excel.)

If you're only doing one cell's worth of pasting:
format the cell as text
paste into the formula bar.

Both kept the Text format in minor testing (but I couldn't find HTML stuff that
looked like dates to copy--so it wasn't much of a test.)

wrote:

Thanks for the reply, however even if I select the cells
and format as text, as soon as I paste the copied
information into excel it still converts into date format.

-----Original Message-----
Hi
try formating the cell s as 'Text' before pasting the
values

--
Regards
Frank Kabel
Frankfurt, Germany


Rufus wrote:
I need to copy a lot of raw data from html format into
excel.

Most of the data consists of a min/max figure (eg.
31/45)

Excel (2003) always converts this number to date format
no matter what I format the cells as. I have been
unsuccesful in converting back to the same format.

Any help or advice is appreciated.
Thanks
.


--

Dave Peterson

Thank you for your reply. However, if I choose paste
special - plain text (or unicode) it pastes about 8
columns worth of info into 1 cell, [which does not lend
itself to be saved as text and re-opened allowing you to
put in cell seperator lines]

an example of the format i need to copy

Item Current stock Min/Max
Item1 10 8/15
Item2 14 10/25

NOTE: IF the number does not make a valid date format
(over 31/31 for example) then it keeps the format intact.

-----Original Message-----
If you format the cell(s) as text, then instead of just
pasting, try:

Edit|Paste special
choose Text

(You should see a different paste special dialog show
up, since you're copying
from excel.)

If you're only doing one cell's worth of pasting:
format the cell as text
paste into the formula bar.

Both kept the Text format in minor testing (but I
couldn't find HTML stuff that
looked like dates to copy--so it wasn't much of a test.)

wrote:

Thanks for the reply, however even if I select the
cells
and format as text, as soon as I paste the copied
information into excel it still converts into date
format.

-----Original Message-----
Hi
try formating the cell s as 'Text' before pasting the
values

--
Regards
Frank Kabel
Frankfurt, Germany


Rufus wrote:
I need to copy a lot of raw data from html format
into
excel.

Most of the data consists of a min/max figure (eg.
31/45)

Excel (2003) always converts this number to date
format
no matter what I format the cells as. I have been
unsuccesful in converting back to the same format.

Any help or advice is appreciated.
Thanks
.


--

Dave Peterson

.