Can't convert text to numbers because of spaces

mummo

New Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2021
Messages
29
Office Version
  1. 365
Platform
  1. Windows
I have a table with about 1200 rows and the data is from a pdf file. The numbers in the original pdf had spaces as 1000 separator, so now I have text cells with "12 000" for example. How do I remove the spaces so I can convert them to numbers?

Find & replace says there is no instances to replace and =SUBSTITUTE(A1;" ";"") does nothing.
 

Excel Facts

What is the fastest way to copy a formula?
If A2:A50000 contain data. Enter a formula in B2. Select B2. Double-click the Fill Handle and Excel will shoot the formula down to B50000.
If you look at the formatting of cell A1, what does it show the format to be?

And what does this return?
Excel Formula:
=LEN(A1)

Also, what does this formula return?
Excel Formula:
=CODE(LEFT(RIGHT(TRIM(A1);4);1))
 
Upvote 0
If you look at the formatting of cell A1, what does it show the format to be?

And what does this return?
Excel Formula:
=LEN(A1)

Also, what does this formula return?
Excel Formula:
=CODE(LEFT(RIGHT(TRIM(A1);4);1))
I checked with 2 different examples, both with the value 28 000, other showed format as text and the other as number.
Length was 6 on both occasions.
Code returned 160 also on both.
 
Upvote 0
Try

Edit: Change comma to ";"

I thouhgt @Joe4 is away that's why I stepped in, otherwise I would not have.

Excel Formula:
=--SUBSTITUTE(A1;CHAR(160);"")
 
Upvote 0
Upvote 0
Try

Edit: Change comma to ";"

I thouhgt @Joe4 is away that's why I stepped in, otherwise I would not have.

Excel Formula:
=--SUBSTITUTE(A1;CHAR(160);"")
Code 160 means that it is not a normal space, it is a special non-breaking space (common on files downloaded from the internet or other sources).
See: ASCII table - Table of ASCII codes, characters and symbols

So try this instead to convert the entry to a number:
Excel Formula:
=SUBSTITUTE(A1;CHAR(160);"")+0
Thank you guys, this was the problem and now it works!
 
Upvote 0
You are welcome!
Glad we were able to help!
 
Upvote 0

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