How do you keep cells in a certain format when pasting data into them?

Question

Greetings all-
My first time to use the forum!
I am trying to paste data I have copied from a website into Numbers. One of the fields is text that reads like a fraction: "15/003" is an example.
Even if I have formatted the column to be "text", when I paste the data into the spreadsheet, the affected cells in the column reformat to be "Automatic" and so I get dates and other converted numbers. In the case of "15/003", it converts to "5". I don't want that. In the case of "12/003", it turns it into a date: "2011.12.03". I don't want that either!
If I THEN go to reset the column to "text", the original text is lost and I cannot reconvert the numbers back to their original format.
In Excel, the cell remains formatted.
I am fluent in Excel and new to Numbers.
I like the power of the conditional formatting in Numbers and would like to use it. If I cannot import the data without Numbers deciding what is best for me, then I'll have to stick with Excel.
But I'm sure there's a trick to it somehow.
What do I need to do to keep my intended formatting?
Cheers!

Answer 1

Salut, Yvan....
Thank you for the offer.... unfortunately, it's in an 'employees' only folder' and hence I can't get it to you in the raw form.
However, I'll give you the scenario and then an example....
I am a transit operator- I drive for the public transport company. It is time for us to bid on our upcoming shifts and I have used Excel in the past to weed out all the work that I definitely don't want and highlight the stuff worth considering.
One of the key pieces of information I need is the route involved. Another is the actual bus, or "run" as we call it.
It is written like a fraction. Run/Route. Hence if it is bus or run 12 on the Route #3, it is written "12/003". Even though I have the whole column set up to be text, when I 'paste and match style', it reverts back to automatic, sees that as a basic fraction and reduces it to "4", or else recognizes it as a date and gives me 2011.12.03. In this case, "12/003", it renders a date. The inspector even allows me to choose the date format.
So I reset the column back to "text" and nothing happens. The all important block/route information is lost.
I've tried to cut and paste an exact example into this thread but even that doesn't work so I'm afraid what I have written here will have to do.
This is really weird- if I simply type directly into the cell "12/003" it stays as text. It's in the pasting that it gets all screwed up.
A little more sleuthing and I've found that all the data (over a thousand rows of data) is all HTML code- published from an Excel file using a web publisher wizzard.
An example:
<tr height=19 style='mso-height-source:userset;height:14.25pt'>
<td height=19 class=xl424807 style='height:14.25pt'>1001</td>
<td class=xl154807>SS</td>
<td class=xl424807>001</td>
<td class=xl154807 x:str="Mo Tu We Th Fr ">Mo Tu We Th Fr </td>
<td class=xl424807> </td>
<td class=xl154807>12/003</td>
<td class=xl424807>VTCT</td>
<td class=xl154807>4:22</td>
<td class=xl424807>12:25</td>
<td class=xl154807>MAR&MN-T</td>
<td class=xl424807> 8:03 </td>
<td class=xl154807> 8:35 </td>
</tr>
I just had a brainwave- Since it was first created in Excel, I pasted the data as I see it into Excel and then copied it and pasted it (Not matching style) into Numbers. Voilà! It worked!
But it kinda defeats the purpose of getting Numbers so I don't have to use Excel, doesn't it?
Any ideas?