Convert text to number

Knowing how to convert text to number in Excel is a valuable skill to have, especially when you have to import a file into excel with some of these numbers formatted as text. When this happens, most people would try to format the cell as a number format. Yet it does not seem to work. This is because Excel still recognized them as text. To complete the process, I used to edit the cells individually and then press the "Enter" key so that Excel can recalculate the cell. The action will convert the text formatted number to real number. To do that for thousands of cells is a nightmare.

Here is one method to convert text to numbers easily.

1. Highlight the range of text formatted numbers.

2. Click on the copy function. You can also use Ctrl + C.

3. Without de-selecting the range, go to the menu, click on edit, paste special.

4. In the paste special dialog box, select multiply or add in the operations section as shown.

5. Click OK. The texts are converted to numbers.

If it is a formula in the cells, then the above cannot be used. Here is what you should do:

a. Highlight the range of text formatted formulas.

b. Format the cell as General category.

c. Activate the replace function by going to the menu, select edit, replace.

d. In the replace dialog box, enter "=" (without inverted commas) in both the find and replace box.

e. Click on the Replace All button. As Excel replace the "=" sign, it will recalculates the formulas in the cells. The formulas in the selected cells are converted to real formulas.