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why sum dosent work.

  1. #1
    EXCEL NEWS
    Guest

    why sum dosent work.



  2. #2
    Ron Rosenfeld
    Guest

    Re: why sum dosent work.

    On Mon, 30 May 2005 14:56:32 +0900, "EXCEL?NEWS" <[email protected]>
    wrote:

    The numbers are really TEXT. Perhaps column was formatted as TEXT at some
    time.

    To convert the numbers to numbers:

    Place 1 in a blank cell.
    COPY that cell.

    Select range in column c

    Edit/Paste Special Multiply.

    SUM will then work.


    --ron

  3. #3
    EXCEL NEWS
    Guest

    Re: why sum dosent work.

    Thanks for your advice.
    why must i do so,for i failed if i just changed the text to numerical value
    in their property settings.
    thanks
    "Ron Rosenfeld" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    news:[email protected]...
    > On Mon, 30 May 2005 14:56:32 +0900, "EXCEL?NEWS" <[email protected]>
    > wrote:
    >
    > The numbers are really TEXT. Perhaps column was formatted as TEXT at some
    > time.
    >
    > To convert the numbers to numbers:
    >
    > Place 1 in a blank cell.
    > COPY that cell.
    >
    > Select range in column c
    >
    > Edit/Paste Special Multiply.
    >
    > SUM will then work.
    >
    >
    > --ron



  4. #4
    Ron Rosenfeld
    Guest

    Re: why sum dosent work.

    On Tue, 31 May 2005 16:59:23 +0900, "EXCEL NEWS" <[email protected]>
    wrote:

    >Thanks for your advice.
    >why must i do so,for i failed if i just changed the text to numerical value
    >in their property settings.


    Once a value is entered as text, it will remain as text until coerced back to a
    number. Merely changing the format does not do that.


    --ron

  5. #5
    Ron Rosenfeld
    Guest

    Re: why sum dosent work.

    On Tue, 31 May 2005 16:59:23 +0900, "EXCEL NEWS" <[email protected]>
    wrote:

    >Thanks for your advice.
    >why must i do so,for i failed if i just changed the text to numerical value
    >in their property settings.
    >thanks


    One other method that *might* work to coerce to a numeric value.

    Select the range.

    Select Data/Text To Columns
    Finish.

    (I did not try that on your worksheet, though).


    --ron

  6. #6
    EXCEL NEWS
    Guest

    Re: why sum dosent work.

    THANKS,

    as they are texts, they should not be "+" ed,

    but, they can be + ed ,cannot be "sum"ed.

    is it the error of excel.

    as you said,once a value is entered as text, it will remain as text until
    coerced back to a
    number. Merely changing the format does not do that.

    but why,or that is just a miss of excel.

    i am puzzled.

    thanks


    "Ron Rosenfeld" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    news:[email protected]...
    > On Tue, 31 May 2005 16:59:23 +0900, "EXCEL NEWS" <[email protected]>
    > wrote:
    >
    > >Thanks for your advice.
    > >why must i do so,for i failed if i just changed the text to numerical

    value
    > >in their property settings.
    > >thanks

    >
    > One other method that *might* work to coerce to a numeric value.
    >
    > Select the range.
    >
    > Select Data/Text To Columns
    > Finish.
    >
    > (I did not try that on your worksheet, though).
    >
    >
    > --ron



  7. #7
    Ron Rosenfeld
    Guest

    Re: why sum dosent work.

    On Wed, 1 Jun 2005 10:19:54 +0900, "EXCEL NEWS" <[email protected]> wrote:

    >THANKS,
    >
    >as they are texts, they should not be "+" ed,
    >
    >but, they can be + ed ,cannot be "sum"ed.
    >
    >is it the error of excel.
    >
    >as you said,once a value is entered as text, it will remain as text until
    >coerced back to a
    >number. Merely changing the format does not do that.
    >
    >but why,or that is just a miss of excel.
    >
    >i am puzzled.
    >
    >thanks


    As with any computer program, the Excel designers made certain decisions. Most
    of those decisions are documented in the HELP file.

    Again, as with any computer program, in order to use it effectively, you need
    to understand the rules by which it operates.

    If you read the documentation (in HELP) for the SUM worksheet function, you
    will see documentation for it's inability to add non-numbers when they are in
    cell references.


    --ron

  8. #8
    Peo Sjoblom
    Guest

    Re: why sum dosent work.

    "Ron Rosenfeld" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    news:[email protected]...
    > On Wed, 1 Jun 2005 10:19:54 +0900, "EXCEL NEWS" <[email protected]>
    > wrote:
    >
    >>THANKS,
    >>
    >>as they are texts, they should not be "+" ed,
    >>
    >>but, they can be + ed ,cannot be "sum"ed.
    >>
    >>is it the error of excel.
    >>
    >>as you said,once a value is entered as text, it will remain as text until
    >>coerced back to a
    >>number. Merely changing the format does not do that.
    >>
    >>but why,or that is just a miss of excel.
    >>
    >>i am puzzled.
    >>
    >>thanks

    >
    > As with any computer program, the Excel designers made certain decisions.
    > Most
    > of those decisions are documented in the HELP file.
    >
    > Again, as with any computer program, in order to use it effectively, you
    > need
    > to understand the rules by which it operates.
    >
    > If you read the documentation (in HELP) for the SUM worksheet function,
    > you
    > will see documentation for it's inability to add non-numbers when they are
    > in
    > cell references.


    And a good reason too, SUM will not return an error if there would be for
    instance a letter in a range,
    i.e. =SUM(A1,A2) where A1 holds "a" and A2 1 will return 1, while a
    calculation like A1+A2 will return a value error.

    --
    Regards,

    Peo Sjoblom

    (No private emails please)


  9. #9
    EXCEL NEWS
    Guest

    Re: why sum dosent work.

    Thank you again.

    i understand partly.

    maybe i have to adapt me to excel.

    thanks.



    "Ron Rosenfeld" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    news:[email protected]...
    > On Wed, 1 Jun 2005 10:19:54 +0900, "EXCEL NEWS" <[email protected]>

    wrote:
    >
    > >THANKS,
    > >
    > >as they are texts, they should not be "+" ed,
    > >
    > >but, they can be + ed ,cannot be "sum"ed.
    > >
    > >is it the error of excel.
    > >
    > >as you said,once a value is entered as text, it will remain as text until
    > >coerced back to a
    > >number. Merely changing the format does not do that.
    > >
    > >but why,or that is just a miss of excel.
    > >
    > >i am puzzled.
    > >
    > >thanks

    >
    > As with any computer program, the Excel designers made certain decisions.

    Most
    > of those decisions are documented in the HELP file.
    >
    > Again, as with any computer program, in order to use it effectively, you

    need
    > to understand the rules by which it operates.
    >
    > If you read the documentation (in HELP) for the SUM worksheet function,

    you
    > will see documentation for it's inability to add non-numbers when they are

    in
    > cell references.
    >
    >
    > --ron



  10. #10

    Re: why sum dosent work.

    dude throw excel out the window and learn a real program-- like ACCESS.

    it has real support for datatypes for starters.. and you won't hit a
    wall when you hit 64k rows lol


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