title: How to export to Excel numbers as text fields from Mathematica?
body: <p>I have a list containing telephone numbers in the form "+74951234567" and I wish to export it to Excel without quotes preserving original appearance with the plus sign. In Excel I can set the cell format to "Text" and then entering +74951234567 without quotes will not result in converting it to number. Is it possible to force <code>Export</code> in <em>Mathematica</em> to create Text cells?</p>
  
  <h2>UPDATE</h2>
  
  <p>I have found an approach which allows to get what I wish: I need to export the table as XML data with formatting information added. For example, the <code>"ss:StyleID" -&gt; "s21"</code> statement in <code>XMLElement["Cell", {"ss:StyleID" -&gt; "s21"}, {XMLElement["Data", {"ss:Type" -&gt; "String"}, {"+74951234567"}]}]</code> formats the cell as "Text". </p>
  
  <p>I have found this by saving the table as "XML Table" from Excel and then <code>Import</code>ing the generated file in <em>Mathematica</em>:</p>
  
  <pre><code>XMLData = Import["test.xml", "IncludeNamespaces" -&gt; "Unparsed"]
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>The <code>XMLData</code> can further be modified inside <em>Mathematica</em> and <code>Export</code>ed backward to XML:</p>
  
  <pre><code>Export["test-from MMa.xml", XMLData]
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>The exported file is opened by Excel as ordinary worksheet and can be manipulated in the usual manner.</p>
  
  <p>But I still need help because I am not familiar with XML and <em>Mathematica</em>'s XML capabilities.  </p>
  
  <h2>UPDATE 2</h2>
  
  <p>It seems that another option would be using <a href="http://jexcelapi.sourceforge.net/" rel="nofollow">JExcelAPI</a> Java library which I have not tried yet.</p>