Comma delimiter

Hi,

When I copy a spreadsheet-like table that contains numbers with commas separating the thousands from the hundreds, pasting the data into Excel (2003 SP2) results in Excel "seeing" the commas and pasting the number into adjacent cells so that (eg) 5,453 ends up with the 5 in one cell and 453 in the next.
When I try to copy the same data and paste it into WORD first, then copy it again and paste into Excel, the problem vanishes. Copying the data and saving it as a text file and importing it into Excel works OK as long as the default setting on the ASCII import screen is changed so that Comma is deselected (unchecked)
Q1: I suspect that the problem is a Settings one, either within Excel or Windows (or a conflict between them). We have tried various combinations with no success. leads to...>
Q2: The default for the ASCII import is Tabs and Commas - can this default be changed? if so, how?

Any help appreciated

Jon Quixley wrote:
> Hi,
>
> When I copy a spreadsheet-like table that contains numbers with commas
> separating the thousands from the hundreds, pasting the data into Excel
> (2003 SP2) results in Excel "seeing" the commas and pasting the number
> into adjacent cells so that (eg) 5,453 ends up with the 5 in one cell
> and 453 in the next.
> When I try to copy the same data and paste it into WORD first, then
> copy it again and paste into Excel, the problem vanishes. Copying the
> data and saving it as a text file and importing it into Excel works OK
> as long as the default setting on the ASCII import screen is changed so
> that Comma is deselected (unchecked)
> Q1: I suspect that the problem is a Settings one, either within Excel
> or Windows (or a conflict between them). We have tried various
> combinations with no success. leads to...>
> Q2: The default for the ASCII import is Tabs and Commas - can this
> default be changed? if so, how?
>
> Any help appreciated
>
>
> --
> Jon Quixley

Jon, trick is to remove the commas before doing your export and
avoiding the MS Office Gymnastics. Find/replace doesn't work. Try
this:
In an unformatted empty cell, type in any five numbers (12345) with no
commas. Using your format painter, click this cell, and paint the
other cells with numerical values containing commas. This will
effectively remove the commas. Go ahead and do your export, and
reformat the resulting data with commas if you want them.

Pierre