diff --git a/PHPExcel/PHPExcel/Cell/DefaultValueBinder.php b/PHPExcel/PHPExcel/Cell/DefaultValueBinder.php
index dc19e6c..d1501b8 100755
--- a/PHPExcel/PHPExcel/Cell/DefaultValueBinder.php
+++ b/PHPExcel/PHPExcel/Cell/DefaultValueBinder.php
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ class PHPExcel_Cell_DefaultValueBinder implements PHPExcel_Cell_IValueBinder
             return PHPExcel_Cell_DataType::TYPE_STRING;
         } elseif ($pValue instanceof PHPExcel_RichText) {
             return PHPExcel_Cell_DataType::TYPE_INLINE;
-        } elseif ($pValue{0} === '=' && strlen($pValue) > 1) {
+        } elseif ($pValue[0] === '=' && strlen($pValue) > 1) {
             return PHPExcel_Cell_DataType::TYPE_FORMULA;
         } elseif (is_bool($pValue)) {
             return PHPExcel_Cell_DataType::TYPE_BOOL;
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ class PHPExcel_Cell_DefaultValueBinder implements PHPExcel_Cell_IValueBinder
             return PHPExcel_Cell_DataType::TYPE_NUMERIC;
         } elseif (preg_match('/^[\+\-]?([0-9]+\\.?[0-9]*|[0-9]*\\.?[0-9]+)([Ee][\-\+]?[0-2]?\d{1,3})?$/', $pValue)) {
             $tValue = ltrim($pValue, '+-');
-            if (is_string($pValue) && $tValue{0} === '0' && strlen($tValue) > 1 && $tValue{1} !== '.') {
+            if (is_string($pValue) && $tValue[0] === '0' && strlen($tValue) > 1 && $tValue[1] !== '.') {
                 return PHPExcel_Cell_DataType::TYPE_STRING;
             } elseif ((strpos($pValue, '.') === false) && ($pValue > PHP_INT_MAX)) {
                 return PHPExcel_Cell_DataType::TYPE_STRING;