CAUSE
This behavior occurs when you apply a number format by selecting a
category, but you do not select a specific format code. Some of these
"default" number formats in Microsoft Excel versions 7.0 and 97 are custom
formats, and are different from the defaults applied by default in earlier
versions of Microsoft Excel.
Note that Microsoft Excel versions 7.0 and 97 contain all of the
formatting codes that are available in Microsoft Excel version 5.0,
with the addition of several special formatting codes.
The following table contains the number format category, the category
default format codes applied in Microsoft Excel version 5.0, and the
default category format codes applied in versions 7.0 and 97.
Category Version 5.0 Default Versions 7.0/97 Default
Category Format Codes Category Format Codes
------------------------------------------------------------------
Custom General General
Number 0 0.00
Accounting _($* #,##0_);_($* (#,##0); _($* #,##0.00_);_($*
(#,##0.00);
_($* "-"_);_(@_) _($* "-"??_);_(@_)
Date m/d/yy m/d
Time h:mm AM/PM h:mm
Percentage 0% 0.00%
Fraction # ?/? # ?/?
Scientific 0.00E+01 0.00E+01
Text @ @
Currency $#,##0_);($#,##0) $#,##0.00
The following table contains the number format category, and the
difference in appearance between the default formatting in Microsoft
Excel version 5.0 and versions 7.0 and 97.
Category Appearance In Appearance In
version 5.0 versions 7.0/97
-----------------------------------------------------
Custom 34 34
Number 5 5.00
Accounting $4,500 $4,500.00
Date 3/4/95 3/4
Time 12:00 AM 12:00
Percentage 34% 34.00%
Fraction 4.5 4.5
Scientific 8.59E+12 8.59E+12
Text 8 8
Currency $2 $2.34
REFERENCES
For more information about how to create custom number formats in
Microsoft Excel, click the Index tab in Microsoft Excel Help, type the
following text
double-click the selected text, then double-click Create Custom Number
Formats to go to the "Create Custom Number Formats" topic.