Set default column data format in Excel to text NOT general

We always have issues using excel and the excel engine in our programs
because things like inventory IDs that are entirely numeric are converted to
numbers and the leading zeros in these Ids are dropped. If this could be
defaulted to the text format instead of general then this would not happen.
I don't know what the ramifications of this would be on columns where all
the values are numeric. These columns should probably be best defulted to
numeric.

----------------
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http://www.microsoft.com/office/comm...ic.excel.setup

Are you opening a csv file? If so then try changing the extension to .txt
and then specify that column as text in the import wizard.

--
Regards
Ken....................... Microsoft MVP - Excel
Sys Spec - Win XP Pro / XL 97/00/02/03

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It's easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission :-)
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"LeRoy Henry" LeRoy wrote in message
...
We always have issues using excel and the excel engine in our programs
because things like inventory IDs that are entirely numeric are converted
to
numbers and the leading zeros in these Ids are dropped. If this could be
defaulted to the text format instead of general then this would not
happen.
I don't know what the ramifications of this would be on columns where all
the values are numeric. These columns should probably be best defulted to
numeric.

----------------
This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the
suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I
Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow
this
link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then
click "I Agree" in the message pane.

http://www.microsoft.com/office/comm...ic.excel.setup