Converting Text to numeric values

[MichaelStarman]

I understand that data on certain web sites is "dead" in the sense that
numeric numbers are actually text or image and when you download and copy
this this info and paste it into a spreadsheet, while you can see the
numbers there, you cannot do any calculations whatsoever with them because
the numeric characters are actually text. I need to be able to convert text
to numeric values which I can do calculation on in MS Excel. I have tried
numerous formulae in Excel like VALUE and read lots of help files but no go.
Could someone please assist with this.

Michael

 

[Ken Wright]

Copy an empty cell, select the range of data concerned and do Edit / Paste
Special / Add.

 

[John Wilson]

Michael,

Make a backup of your workbook first.

Place the number 1 in a cell.
Do Edit/Copy
Now select all of your text (numbers) and do a
Paste Special and select "Multiply"

John

 

[MichaelStarman]

Hi Ken, thanks for the response but either I am not understanding you
correctly or doing something wrong.
My understanding is copy any single blank cell and copy this over the range
of cells that appear to be numeric but are not and then apply the
Edit/Special paste/Add. But this does not change the text cells to numeric
data on which I can do calculations. What am I doing wrong ???

Regards

Micahel

 

[Ken Wright]

Nothing at all. It just means you have some left-over html garbage in your
data. If this is something you are likely to do on a regular basis, I would
suggest you put a copy of Dave McRitchie's Trimall macro in your Personal.xls,
then just select the data and run the macro - This will clear out the garbage
and may well convert your data. If not then you can simply use the previous
advice as it should work fine now.

http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/join.htm#trimall

 

[MichaelStarman]

Thanks a lot Ken, now need to do some serious reading.
Cheers
Michael

 

[Ken Wright]

Hopefully that is to do with the data you are analysing, as Dave's macro should
only take about 1-2 min to get up and running. If you have not used macros
before then just shout, and we can give you some real quick steps to get there.