XL: Numeric Data May Be Lost When Saving File in PRN Format

ID: Q178128

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0a, 5.0c
• Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
• Microsoft Excel for the Power Macintosh, versions 5.0, 5.0a

SYMPTOMS

In the versions of Microsoft Excel listed at the beginning of this article, if you save a worksheet in the "Formatted Text (Space delimited)(*.prn)" file format, numeric data may be lost in fields that are formatted with the Accounting format.

CAUSE

This problem occurs because the "Formatted Text (Space delimited)(*.prn)" file format does not support the number formats in the Accounting formatting category.

This behavior is by design of Microsoft Excel.

WORKAROUNDS

To work around this behavior, use one of the following methods.

Method 1

To work around this behavior, change the number format for cells to a number format that is not in the Accounting category. A good alternative is a number format in the Currency category. To change to a number format in Currency category, follow these steps:

1. Select the cells that are formatted in an Accounting number format.

2. Click Cells on the Format menu, and then click the Number tab.

3. Click Currency in the Category list. Make option changes that you

   want and click OK.

Method 2

To workaround this behavior, format all of the data with a monospace (nonproportional) font, such as Courier New. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Select the cells that are formatted in an Accounting number format.

2. Click Cells on the Format menu, and then click the Font tab.

3. Click Courier New in the Font list and click OK.

MORE INFORMATION

In Microsoft Excel, you can save a worksheet as a .prn file by clicking Save As on the File menu and clicking "Formatted Text (Space delimited) (*.prn)" in the Save As Type list.

REFERENCES

Microsoft Excel 7.0 and Microsoft Excel 97

For more information about the PRN file format, click the Office Assistant in the Visual Basic Editor, type "PRN" (without the quotation marks), click Search, and then click to view "File format converters supplied with Microsoft Excel."

NOTE: If the Assistant is hidden, click the Office Assistant button on the Standard toolbar. If Microsoft Help is not installed on your computer, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q120802
   TITLE     : Office: How to Add/Remove a Single Office
               Program or Component

Microsoft Excel 5.0

For more information about the PRN format, click Search on the Help menu in Microsoft Excel, type the following text

   File Formats, changing

Additional query words: Accounting PRN File Format justify justified

Version           : MACINTOSH:5.0,5.0a; WINDOWS:5.0,5.0a,5.0c,7.0,7.0a,97
Platform          : MACINTOSH WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: January 8, 1999