software

By default, all columns are formatted as General. This screws up alphabetic
sorts: the name TRUE ends up after the Zs, the name MAY or JUNE etc. ends up
as a date. Ok, so you change the format of all columns to Text, one by one.

Can the default format be set to Text?
Or is there an easier way to change the format of a number of columns at once?

All the Excel help articles I could find worry about changing number
formats, and are no help to me.

Regards,
Gerry MetzeGerry

not sure if you can set the default to text ... it would kind of defeat the
object of a spreadsheet - calculations.

However, click on the grey box at the top left of the grid (above row 1,
left of column A) to select all the cells.

Now, select Format | Cells | Number | Category = Text

Can't think of a quicker way to do it

Regards

Trevorquot;GerryMquot; gt; wrote in message
...
gt; By default, all columns are formatted as General. This screws up
gt; alphabetic
gt; sorts: the name TRUE ends up after the Zs, the name MAY or JUNE etc. ends
gt; up
gt; as a date. Ok, so you change the format of all columns to Text, one by
gt; one.
gt;
gt; Can the default format be set to Text?
gt; Or is there an easier way to change the format of a number of columns at
gt; once?
gt;
gt; All the Excel help articles I could find worry about changing number
gt; formats, and are no help to me.
gt;
gt; Regards,
gt; Gerry Metze
gt;

quot;GerryMquot; gt; wrote in message
...
gt; By default, all columns are formatted as General. This screws up
gt; alphabetic
gt; sorts: the name TRUE ends up after the Zs, the name MAY or JUNE etc. ends
gt; up
gt; as a date. Ok, so you change the format of all columns to Text, one by
gt; one.
gt;
gt; Can the default format be set to Text?
gt; Or is there an easier way to change the format of a number of columns at
gt; once?
gt;
gt; All the Excel help articles I could find worry about changing number
gt; formats, and are no help to me.
gt;
gt; Regards,
gt; Gerry Metze
gt;

Gerry,

You could set up a template. That is to say, take a blank workbook, format
the all of the sheets for text, and save it as an .xlt file.

When you need a new workbook, select New from the menu, go to templates and
select your saved template file.

One solution

Beege
Thanks to both of you -- both methods sound better than what I am doing now.

Gerry Metze

quot;Beegequot; wrote:

gt;
gt; quot;GerryMquot; gt; wrote in message
gt; ...
gt; gt; By default, all columns are formatted as General. This screws up
gt; gt; alphabetic
gt; gt; sorts: the name TRUE ends up after the Zs, the name MAY or JUNE etc. ends
gt; gt; up
gt; gt; as a date. Ok, so you change the format of all columns to Text, one by
gt; gt; one.
gt; gt;
gt; gt; Can the default format be set to Text?
gt; gt; Or is there an easier way to change the format of a number of columns at
gt; gt; once?
gt; gt;
gt; gt; All the Excel help articles I could find worry about changing number
gt; gt; formats, and are no help to me.
gt; gt;
gt; gt; Regards,
gt; gt; Gerry Metze
gt; gt;
gt;
gt; Gerry,
gt;
gt; You could set up a template. That is to say, take a blank workbook, format
gt; the all of the sheets for text, and save it as an .xlt file.
gt;
gt; When you need a new workbook, select New from the menu, go to templates and
gt; select your saved template file.
gt;
gt; One solution
gt;
gt; Beege
gt;
gt;
gt;