Have formula treat value as text, not numeric

Question

I have an Excel formula reading data from a column. The data in that column is sometimes a date-like format, such as "10-11". Despite the fact that I've ensured that column is text formatted -- and all values display correctly as plain text, not reinterpreted as dates -- the formula is basically reinterpreting them as dates in the reference.

I need a way to force the formula's cell reference to interpret the cell as text. I tried TEXT(A1, "@") but it doesn't work -- it gives the numeric value of the date.

Answer 1

Short answer: When referring to number-like (or date-like) text values in a formula, don't use them in a place in the formula where Excel is expecting a number.

Long answer: Even if the source column is formatted as text and the values in the source column are truly entered as text (and not numbers, including dates), Excel may automatically convert text values to numbers (including dates) when you reference them in a formula if you use them in a place where Excel is expecting a number (or date).

For example (assuming US date formats), in a blank worksheet:

1. Set the format for column A to Text.

2. In cell A1, enter the value 10-11.

3. In cell B1, enter the formula =T(A1). The T() worksheet function returns the supplied value if it is text. Otherwise, it returns an empty string. The result of the formula in cell B1 should be 10-11, indicating that the value of A1 is text, not a number or date (in which case the result would be an empty string).

4. In cell C1, enter the formula =A1.

5. In cell D1, enter the formula =T(C1). The result should also be 10-11, indicating that the value of the formula in C1 is text, not a number or date. This shows that you can (sometimes) use a text value that looks like a number (or date) in a formula and have Excel treat it as text (which is what you want).

6. In cell E1, enter the formula =A1+0. The result will be 40827. This is the numeric value of the date October 11, 2011. This shows that you can (sometimes) use a text value that looks like a number (or date) in a formula and Excel will automatically convert it to a number (which is what you observed) if you use it in a place (like on either side of the + operator) where Excel is expecting a number.