User ran query containing a column of numbers. The column in the database is a varchar character. In Excel, all rows of the column contain errors specifying “numbers stored as text.” The user must convert the cells for this column to number before they can create calculations on it. Is this how BQ is supposed to work? The user claims this wasn’t happening last week but now it’s suddenly happening. Wondering if it’s a setting in Excel, the fact that the database field is varchar or if this is an error.
You’ll probably have to convert the text column to a numeric column in excel. I believe you can do that simply by formatting the column. If not, try a copy/paste special, and just paste the values into your spreadsheet somewhere.
absolutely you Another easy way to convert the text to numbers, fllow this step below.
open MSExcel 2003, in the main menu click On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Error Checking tab.
Make sure the Enable background error checking and Number stored as text boxes are unchecked, if not check it.
there will be a green flag in the upper left hand corner of the cell, click on it.
an exclamation point will show, click on it and a dialog box will drop down, click on convert to number.
to do this for an entire column, click so that the exclamation point is showing, and highlight the column (I find this works easier for me if I do it from the bottom of the column up) then click on the exclamation point, click on convert to number and the whole column will convert.
(BOB member since 2002-09-19)