Date:         Fri, 20 Jun 2003 08:41:48 -0400
Reply-To:     Ben Powell <ben.powell@CLA.CO.UK>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Ben Powell <ben.powell@CLA.CO.UK>
Subject:      ODS to Excel: formatting text fields

I use ODS to export various reports and would like to use it in another way
but there is a problem. I'm exporting ISBNs which can contain an X check
digit so must be treated as text. However Excel considers them to be
numeric when there is no X. I can use DDE and preformat the column as text
to resolve this but I can't get ODS to achieve the same thing. If I import
the html into excel having preformatted the column that doesn't work, and
if I ODS directly to an xls file that doesn't work. The result is the
leading zeros are trimmed. As the file can contain ISSNs as well I have no
idea what the number was to start with.

Does any one have a work around for this sort of problem, or know of an
option I can use (in SAS or Excel)?