Noobie question

[Lmo]

Help! I am trying to create a spreadsheet and have defined columns. When I start to put my data in, I type in something like 11-3210 for a department number, and what appears in the column is a date...Nov-10. For some reason it is assuming that I mean for the info to be a date, when in fact, I dont.

Another example is when I put a serial number in another column- I put in 100557349340. What appears in the colum is: 1.00557E+11.
I am assuming this is some kind of formatting thing that is substituting the numbers that I put in for all of this other stuff. Is there a setting that needs to be changed? Thanks for your help!

 

[VoG]

Try selecting the cells that you are going to be entering data in and Format > Cells and set as Text.

 

[Lmo]

Thank you ever so kindly! Actually, formatting as 'special' was the resolution, but you had me in the right place!
Thank you again!

 

[orysiar]

Noobie Question

Or, just put an apostrophe in front of the numbers - it will not show in the contents of the cell i.e. '11-3210 will show as 11-3210 on the excel spreadsheet - no special formatting of cell necessary