<html><head><title>Entering a Number with Leading Zeros</title><meta name="filename" content="text/scalc/guide/integer_leading_zero"/><help:css-file-link xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/><!--The CSS style header method for setting styles--><style type="text/css">
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<p class="Head1"><help:paragraphinfo state="U" number="67" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/><help:key-word value="zero values; entering leading zeros" tag="kw68083_1" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/><help:key-word value="numbers; with leading zeros" tag="kw68083_8" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/><help:key-word value="leading zeros; entering/suppressing" tag="kw68083_7" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/><help:key-word value="integers; with leading zeros" tag="kw68083_6" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/><help:to-be-embedded Eid="integer_leading_zero" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"><help:link Id="68083">Entering a Number with Leading Zeros</help:link></help:to-be-embedded></p>
<p class="Paragraph"><help:paragraphinfo state="U" number="55"/>There are various ways to enter integers starting with a zero:</p>
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<p style=""><help:paragraphinfo state="U" number="56"/>Enter the number as text. The easiest way is to enter the number starting with an apostrophe (for example, '0987). The apostrophe will not appear in the cell, and the number will be formatted as text. Because it is in text format, however, you cannot calculate with this number.</p>
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<p style=""><help:paragraphinfo state="U" number="57"/>Format a cell with a number format such as \0000. This format can be assigned in the <span style="font-weight:bold;">Format code</span> field under the <span style="font-weight:bold;">Format - Cells - Numbers</span> tab, and defines the cell display as "always put a zero first and then the integer, having at least three places, and filled with zeros at the left if less than three digits".</p>
<p class="Paragraph"><help:paragraphinfo state="U" number="58"/>If you want to apply a numerical format to a column of numbers in text format (for example, text "000123" becomes number "123"), do the following:</p>
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<p style=""><help:paragraphinfo state="U" number="59"/>Select the column in which the digits are found in text format. Set the cell format in that column as "Number".</p>