Paste Values -- Value changes to formula

I'm not so sure it isn't by accident.

If you copy and paste-value into the same cell, and then hit <enter>, the conversion to a value persists.

Not if you hit Enter a second time.  You are confusing two "shortcut" uses of Enter.

While in the Paste Special dialog box, Enter is a synonym for pressing OK.

While the cursor is in a cell and another cell is selected for copy (dancing ants), Enter is a synonym for ctrl-V followed by Esc.

Ron wrote:

I just don't understand why  <enter> should transform a previously selected paste-value operation into a simple paste.

I make it a point of trying not to understand why a designer does what he/she does; why a designer provides a particular feature, especially an apparent redundancy.  "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men"?  (Although pressing Enter to copy is like pressing ctrl-V, then Esc; not exactly a redundancy.)

Some sites that mention this "feature" as long ago as 2008.

http://chandoo.org/wp/2008/10/17/use-enter-to-paste-copied-values-in-excel-quick-tip

http://www.worldstart.com/paste-with-enter-key-excel

Apparently pressing Enter is a synonym for pressing ctrl-V:  it is a simple paste.  You get the same paste-formula behavior if you eliminate the paste-special-value step.

"Is this documented?".  I don't see it in the list of keyboard shortcuts.

"By design?".  I'm sure it is not by accident.

I'm not so sure it isn't by accident.

If you copy and paste-value into the same cell, and then hit <enter>, the conversion to a value persists.  Of course, the contents of that cell changed by virtue of your paste-value operation.

I just don't understand why  <enter> should transform a previously selected paste-value operation into a simple paste.

Replying to both of your messages.

The site mentions using Enter in place of ctrl-V, but not the behavior of essentially canceling the paste-special operation.

WRT pressing <enter> twice, I am either misunderstanding what you wrote, or the behavior is different in Excel 2007

In Excel 2007:

F1:   =A1/A2

Select F1

Copy

Paste Values  --> formula bar changes to the Value

Enter -->  Value remains in cell

Enter -->  selected cell changes to F2; Value remains in F1

F1:  =A1/A2

Select F1

Copy

Select F2

Paste Values --> Value appears in formula bar (and cell)

Enter -->  Formula now appears in formula bar (and cell)

Enter --> selected cell changes to F3, formula remains in F2

So <enter> acts to negate the Paste Value operation, if and only if the copy is to a cell different from the source cell.

There is a commonality in that <enter> seems to do a simple Paste of what happens to be in the cell at the time <enter> is pressed (and not what is in the cell at the time the Copy operation is executed, which is what I would expect).  But doing it in that manner seems unnecessarily confusing.

I've never noticed this before.

[....]

Is this documented behavior?  By design?  Bug? 

Happens in XL2003.  Don't need the complexity of two workbooks in the same Excel instance.

Notice that after the copy and paste-special (value or whatever), the copied cell is still selected for copy (crawling ants).

Apparently pressing Enter is a synonym for pressing ctrl-V:  it is a simple paste.  You get the same paste-formula behavior if you eliminate the paste-special-value step.

"Is this documented?".  I don't see it in the list of keyboard shortcuts.

"By design?".  I'm sure it is not by accident.