microsoft Excel

[jayemcee]

How do I make Excel accept dates and telephone numbers as I input them?
It always reformats dates and will not accept telephone numbers commencing with 0 (zero). It also puts groups of numbers that resemble dates into a date format when they are not dates!

[mike11111]

Can't remember exactly off-hand but there is an option to select text rather that number for inputs.

[Vagrant]

Highlight the cells that don't look right, select Format -> Cells, and choose a mask that makes the numbers look the way you want them to.

[Buenchico]

See here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/214233

Chris

[mike11111]

Remembered now - go to format on the tool bar and format your cells as text.

[mike11111]

For telephone nos. starting with 0 you will need to format the cells first. It won't reinstate the missing 0 if you try to do it later.

[Vagrant]

It will if you choose the correct mask.

[jayemcee]

Thanks guys for your speedy responses. I shall now try and rehash my efforts of yesterday using this information. I've printed it all off for future reference also. Many thanks.

[factor-fiction]

Can't you also simply put an apostrophe in front of whatever number you enter and it will appear just as you entered it

[Vagrant]

Yes, if that's the requirement - masks are used to force numbers into a particular format regardless of how they are entered.