Excel Numbers Stored as Text
Convert imported numeric text into real numbers.
What this solves
Fix prices that will not sum or sort numerically. This pattern is useful when the business question is clear but a generic tutorial is too abstract.
The rule
Use VALUE, arithmetic coercion or import cleanup after confirming decimal separators.
=VALUE(A2)Google Sheets: The core pattern is also usable in Google Sheets; exact function support and locale separators can differ.
Real-work checklist
- Define the business key and expected grain before writing the formula, query or markup.
- Test the pattern on a small known sample where you can verify the answer manually.
- Check missing values, duplicates and data types before trusting a large result.
- Scale to the real file or database only after the logic is proven.
Common mistake
Comma and dot decimal conventions can change the meaning of imported numbers.