Microsoft KB Archive/125315

= Works: Numbers Preceded with + or - Disappear in DB Text Field =

Article ID: 125315

Article Last Modified on 11/15/2004

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Works 3.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Works 3.0a
 * Microsoft Works 3.0b
 * Microsoft Works 4.5 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Works 4.5a
 * Microsoft Works 4.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Works 4.0a

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This article was previously published under Q125315



SYMPTOMS
When a database field is formatted as Text and you type text with a leading equal sign (=), plus sign (+), or minus sign (-) sign, one of the following will occur:


 * The text will disappear from the record when you press ENTER.


 * The results of the equation will be displayed instead of the text.


 * If the equation in the text-formatted field contains characters that would be invalid in a formula, the error message "Reference not valid or wrong operand type," "Missing Operand," "The formula is not typed correctly," or "The formula contains an error" will be displayed.



CAUSE
Works interprets any text preceded by an equal sign, plus sign, or minus sign as a formula, even if the field is formatted as Text. Since formula results are not displayed in the current record until there is data in another field, the text may seem to disappear.



RESOLUTION
To resolve this problem, precede the data with a quotation mark. For example:

"+46-32

Additional query words: 3.00 3.00a 3.00b 4.00 4.00a 4.50 4.50a W_works DB wrong

Keywords: kbprb KB125315

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