Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Adding Leading Zeroes to ZIP Codes.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated September 12, 2020)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365
When you import ZIP Codes from a text file into an Excel workbook, it is not uncommon for Excel to translate the values as numbers rather than as ZIP Codes. This results in leading zeroes being dropped from the ZIP Codes, which can obviously cause problems later when using the data for its intended purpose.
One solution, of course, is to simply change the display format used for ZIP Code cells. (Excel provides a special format for ZIP Codes, available through the Number tab of the Format Cells dialog box.) This may work for the display, but the underlying data is still missing the leading zeroes.
If you want the underlying data to actually include the leading zeroes, it is best to use a macro that goes through and adds leading zeroes to the information in a cell. The following macro does just that:
Sub MakeZIPText() Dim ThisCell As Range Application.ScreenUpdating = False 'Make sure format is text Selection.NumberFormat = "@" For Each ThisCell In Selection 'Strip the leading apostrophe, if any If Left(ThisCell, 1) = "'" Then ThisCell = Mid(ThisCell, 2, 99) End If 'It's a 5-digit ZIP Code If Len(ThisCell) <= 5 Then ThisCell = "'" & Right("00000" & ThisCell, 5) Else ThisCell = "'" & Right("00000" & ThisCell, 10) End If Next ThisCell Application.ScreenUpdating = True End Sub
To use the macro, simply select the range of cells containing the ZIP Codes, then run the macro. The macro actually changes the cell contents—no longer will the cells contain numeric values (the cause of the original problem), but they will contain text values. This allows the leading zeroes to appear at the beginning of the ZIP Codes.
Note:
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (9663) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Adding Leading Zeroes to ZIP Codes.
Program Successfully in Excel! John Walkenbach's name is synonymous with excellence in deciphering complex technical topics. With this comprehensive guide, "Mr. Spreadsheet" shows how to maximize your Excel experience using professional spreadsheet application development tips from his own personal bookshelf. Check out Excel 2013 Power Programming with VBA today!
As your macro processes information in a worksheet, you may want to make sure that it skips over rows that are hidden. ...
Discover MoreThe personal macro workbook is a great place to save your macros that you want to use with any workbook. The personal ...
Discover MoreLogical structures are important in programming, as they allow you to control how the programming statements are ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2020-12-24 11:50:55
Willy Vanhaelen
This tip's macro can be simplified a bit:
- "Strip the leading apostrophe" in the macro does nothing since Left(ThisCell, 1) = "'" doesn't detect the apostrophe and simply returns the first digit of the number because the leading apostrophe in Excel looks like an apostrophe but it isn't: it is a special character.
- Preceding the 5 or 10 digit zip code with an apostrophe isn't necessary because the cells are formatted as text.
- Although it does no harm, suppressing the screen updating isn't really necessary for a rather simple task like this.
So this 5 lines macro does the job as well:
Sub MakeZIPText()
Dim Cell As Range
Selection.NumberFormat = "@"
For Each Cell In Selection
Cell = Right("0000" & Cell, IIf(Len(Cell) > 5, 10, 5))
Next Cell
End Sub
2020-09-13 03:21:27
Vicharak
Just wanted to confirm whether using text function in a helper column will give the same results..??
Like
=Text(A2,"00000")
0 can be repeated to reflect no. of total digits we need in the value including leading zeros..
In above formula 1234 will be changed to 01234 in the corresponding cell of helper column..
Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2024 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments