I have a C++ program writing records to an Excel spreadsheet via ODBC/SQL. The text and number values are inserted ok. I am also trying to write a formula (eg. =HYPERLINK("http://www.abc.com", "Click here for the abc site") ) into the sheet.

The problem: the formulas are displayed as formulas - they do not calculate. If I edit the formula (changing nothing but simply pressing return to re-enter the original value) then the formula is calculated. In the example above, the hyperlink is displayed as a link.

The same problem exists for any formula (even something as simple as =2+2).

Does anyone know why the formulas are not calculated ? Pressing F9, Shift-F9, Crtl-Alt-F9, or calculating the worksheet with VBA don't have any effect.

I can't believe that formulas have to be manually entered or edited before they become active. If I am missing something please let me know. Thanks in advance.