Microsoft KB Archive/296908

= XL2001: List Object Adds Quotation Marks to Text Used for Default Value =

Article ID: 296908

Article Last Modified on 1/31/2007

-

APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Excel 2001 for Mac

-



This article was previously published under Q296908



SYMPTOMS
When you set a default value for a column in a list, and then type a value in another column, the default value that Excel automatically enters may have quotation marks around it.



CAUSE
This problem may occur when you do the following:
 * 1) You click to select the Default value check box in the Column Settings dialog box.
 * 2) You type text, rather than a number, for the default value.
 * 3) You save and close the file, and then reopen it.

If you save, close, and reopen the worksheet, and then type values or text that trigger Excel to enter the default value in the list, that default text may have additional quotation marks added.

If you repeatedly save, close, and reopen the worksheet, Excel adds more quotation marks each time.

NOTE: This problem does not occur if your default value is a number (regardless of data type), date, or time, but does occur with any values that include text or punctuation.



RESOLUTION
To resolve this problem, download and install the Microsoft Office 2001 Service Release 1 file. To do so, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/mac/downloads.aspx?pid=download&location=/mac/download/office2001/update_905.xml&secid=10&ssid=25&flgnosysreq=True



WORKAROUND
To work around this problem, use any of the following methods.

NOTE: With methods 2 and 3, any further use of the Column Settings dialog box causes the Default value setting to revert to a simple text string, which leads to the original problem.

Method 1
Manually remove the quotation marks in the Default value box of the Column Settings dialog box. Do this during any session in which you expect to be adding new records to the list.

You may need to remove more than one set of quotation marks, depending on how many times you saved and reopened the file since the last cleanup. After you remove the quotation marks, the default value will work correctly throughout that session; however, new quotation marks will still accrue when you save, close, and reopen the worksheet again.

Method 2
In the Default value box of the Column Settings dialog box, type the default value as a formula; that is, type an equal sign, and then type the default text with quotation marks around the text.

Method 3
Create a defined name that uses a formula for the default text. To do this, follow these steps:
 * 1) On the Insert menu, point to Name, and then click Define.
 * 2) In the Names in workbook box, type a name that you want to use. In the Refers to box, type an equal sign, and then type the default text with quotation marks around the text.
 * 3) Select a cell in which you want to change the column setting, and then click Column Settings on the List toolbar. In the Column Settings dialog box, type an equal sign, and then type the new defined name in the Default value box.



STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article. This problem was corrected in Microsoft Office 2001 for Mac Service Release 1.



MORE INFORMATION
Excel adds the extra quotation marks in the Default value box when you save, close, and reopen the worksheet. The first time that you do this, Excel adds quotation marks on each side of the text. Each additional time you save, close, and reopen the worksheet, Excel adds two additional sets of quotation marks on each side of the existing default value.

