Convert numbers stored as text to numbers

[MichelG]

Hello,

I'm using data tables extracted from the Statistics Canada website. The download format is in CSV.

I can import the files in Planmaker. The data tables contained in the files appear as a normal spreadsheet data (one number in each cell). The columns of numbers displayed look OK but the numbers are actually stored as text. I can't apply functions (sum, average, etc), I get zero as the result.

Whithin Planmaker, is there any way to easily convert the numbers(data) stored in those cells from text to numbers ?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Michel G.

[Hook]

Hello,

I'm using data tables extracted from the Statistics Canada website. The download format is in CSV.

I can import the files in Planmaker. The data tables contained in the files appear as a normal spreadsheet data (one number in each cell). The columns of numbers displayed look OK but the numbers are actually stored as text. I can't apply functions (sum, average, etc), I get zero as the result.

Whithin Planmaker, is there any way to easily convert the numbers(data) stored in those cells from text to numbers ?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Michel G.

When you open the CSV file in PlanMaker, you are given a dialog box. On that dialog box, pick comma as your separator if it isn't already selected and check the "Extended number scanning" box, then OK. When the file loads into the spreadsheet, you can select all the cells with numbers, right click, slelect "Cell..." and change the format (it will probably say it is default) to number. OK and all those numbers will be... numbers. Important... this only works if you have checked the "Extended number scanning " box when you imported the data.

[MichelG]

I followed your procedure but with slight changes:

When loading the CSV file, in the left side of the dialog box I checked "decimal separator" and also "thousands separator". In the right side I used "Separator->Semicolon" and I also checked the "Extended number scanning" box as you recommended.

I then followed the remaining steps as you proposed and it worked.

Many thanks,

-Michel G.