yogi_Working With Fractions Entered In Google Spreadsheet Cells As Text

Google Spreadsheet   Post  #2548

Yogi Anand, D.Eng, P.E.      ANAND Enterprises LLC -- Rochester Hills MI     Nov-22-2018

question by: Kyriacos Achilleos:
https://productforums.google.com/forum/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=best_answer_notification_button#!topic/docs/bC0Vt7zur5c;context-place=mydiscussions

How to stop simplifying fractions or convert text into fractions

I want to be able to enter fractions into a cell and then use those fractions as part of a formula in another cell. 

• If I don't use the formula sign (=) at the beginning of the cell, the fraction is displayed exactly as I enter it because it is treated as text (e.g. 5/20). However, in this case I cannot use it in the other cell as part of a formula because it is not recognized as a number and using =VALUE(cell) returns an error.
• If I enter =5/20 then the fraction simplifies to 1/4 and the formula works correctly. However, I don't want the value to be simplified. I want it displayed exactly as entered. 

I have tried several custom number formats with no luck. Any help would be appreciated.

Kyriacos