Applying punctuation to number

I am almost positive that I have done this before (Excel 2007), but darned if I remember how... lol


I have a column of values which are 3-decimal numbers.

They are in a format like: 12312345.123


I need these values to be formatted as: 123-12345.123


I can do that using a custom format, with this mask: 000-00000.000

Not sure if that is the right way to do it, but it results in the number displaying appropriately. The actual cell contents though (as seen in the formulas bar) is still 12312345.123


However, I need to use this Excel file in a separate application (Arcmap) to match up with other data. When I bring the Excel file into Arcmap, this formatted column has 'reverted back' to the initial 12312345.123 format.

So, I am thinking what I need to do is, in Excel, somehow "apply" the proper formatting to the number so that the 123-12345.123 is the ACTUAL content of the cells.

Does this make sense? If so, assistance on how to achieve this is appreciated!

In a convenient column,

=text(a1, "000-00000.000")

Hi mothman0

You can do it with Code

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