IBM Lotus Symphony


Formatting Numbers as Text

You can format numbers as text in a spreadsheet. When numbers are formatted as text, they cannot be used in calculations or formulas.

If you need to enter a number directly as text, enter an apostrophe (') first. For example, to input years as text in column headings, you can enter '1999, '2000 and '2001. The apostrophe is not visible in the cell; it only indicates that the entry is to be recognized as text. For example, use the apostrophe when you enter a telephone number or postal code that begins with a zero (0), because a 0 at the start of a sequence of digits is removed in normal number formats.
Note: If you have already entered numbers in cells and, afterwards, changed the format of the cells to Text, the numbers remain numbers and are not converted. Only numbers entered after you specify that they are text, or numbers which are edited, become text.
  1. Select the cells in which you want numbers displayed as text.
  2. Click Layout > Properties > Text and Cell Properties.
  3. In the Category area, select Text. Any numbers subsequently entered into the formatted range are interpreted as text. The display of these "numbers" is left-justified, just as with other text.

Product Feedback | Additional Documentation | Trademarks