Keith,

Korny is on the right track but in Excel the steps are:
FORMAT -- CELL -- NUMBERS -- GENERAL and then
pick the negative number style from the displayed list.

Jim Meagher
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----- Original Message -----
From: raymond kornele <[log in to unmask]>
.


> >From: Keith Gladstone <[log in to unmask]>
> >
> >I am developing a spreadsheet to replace a paper based cashbook and VAT
day
> >book.
> >I am reliably informed that in accounting a negative number should be
> >identified by placing it in parenthesis,
> >I understand that a negative number can be entered by enclosing it in
> >parenthesis but as soon as I change to the next cell or press enter the
> >parenthesis disappear and a minus sign precedes the number.
> >When printed out the minus sign is quite small and may easily be missed,
I
> >cannot find any way to do this using the custom number formats within
excel
> >but feel that it should be possible by adapting one of the existing
custom
> >formats.
> >The office where the spreadsheet will be used only has a mono laser
printer
> >so I can't resort to displaying negative amounts in red.
> >Could anyone possibly advise what the notation is that I should use?
> >
> >
> >K. Gladstone
>
> ===============
> If you were working in Lotus 1-2-3 you would press /wgi (menu, worksheet,
> general, install) and set negative number display to parenthesis.
>
> Should be a similar menu item in excell.
> =====Korny=====

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