Input Mask Applied During Data Entry

I would like XL to add in the thousand separator comma while I am typing a number into a cell. It should be based on the existing cell formatting. Right now when I want to type in 10 million I first need to figure out how many zero's I need before I start typing.

I don't think Excel has that capability.

I know it doesn't. I am asking the powers that be to add it as a new feature. I bet when Bill wants to balance his cheque book that he would appreciate a feature like this. My cheque book is easier as there are fewer numbers before the decimal.

Jim

This is oft asked and indeed Access has it. It would be good to apply it a little like a format only, of course, it would need to make the data change whereas a format just changes the display.

It would be handy for decimals (which you can actually do now), commas (or whatever your comma seperator is), telephone numbers, (but that needs localising), times and dates especially. That's very often asked.

It should not, IMO be automatic though, like 1-3-7 get converted automatically to 1st march 2007 (01/03/2007). So user set by perhaps named range or pre-selection???

Thinking more on this, maybe using Input Mask codes like regular expressions, etc

I am with you that it should not be automatic. It should be a property of the cell as to whether you want the input mask applied or not. By default it should be not applied. If however you choose to apply the mask then data entry should be formated in accordance with the formatting of the cell. That would be my 2 cents...