How to Keep Leading Zeros in CSV File Format?

[KJKirkland]

Hello!

I am trying to have a column of numbers include leading zeros so they all contain six digits.

Scenario

1. I want all numbers in the first column to have six digits (if they already have 5 digits, add 1 leading zero, 4 digits = 2 leading zeroes, and so on).
2. When I follow a website I found with tips for this process (highlight cells, format cells, category - custom, type 6 0's under type, click OK) - the format of the cell automatically changes to "Special", not custom).
3. Then, when I close the file and re-open it, the numbers are back to the original digits (4 or 2 or whatever) and not the 6 digits with the leading zeros.

Thank you for any help you can provide!

 

[lrobbo314]

After you import the CSV and apply your formatting you need to save the file as xlsx. CSVs strip out formatting and pretty much everything except for the data.

 

[alansidman]

crossposted: How to Keep Leading Zeros in CSV File Format?

 

[Peter_SSs]

Welcome to the MrExcel board!

Cross-posting (posting the same question in more than one forum) is not against our rules, but the method of doing so is covered by #13 of the Forum Rules. Be sure to follow & read the link at the end of the rule too!

If you do cross-post in the future and also provide a link, then there shouldn’t be a problem.

 

[vmjan02]

@KJKirkland
Just put '0xxxx at the starting of the number and then save the file to .csv, the numbers will start with leading 0