Cell format with Data Import (date appearing as text)
 

Help!

I have a file which I download from an intranet application. For some
reason one of the columns that comes in as a date field, is coming through in
some cells OK and in others as a text format (this is easily identifiable
depending on whether they are justifies to the left or right of the cell).
All the dates are valid (not 30th Feb), and my regional setting are fine too.
What I don't understand is that in all other columns the dates are fine, but
for some reason this one column is a mix and match of date and text and is
causing me problems (i want to import it into access). The only way to get
around this is to manually click in each of the text format cells and hit
enter and they change to date format and are correct, problem is i have over
10,000 lines like this!

Any suggestions appreciated,
Thanks,

Cell format with Data Import (date appearing as text)
 

I'm guessing that there's more going on than you're aware of. Excel usually
exhibits that behavior when it's dealing with text.

Do the problem values have leading or trailing spaces?

Meanwhile, you might try this:
Select the column of dates

Then, from the Excel main menu:
<data<text-to-columns
Click [next] twice
Column data format: Date
Click [Finish]

Does that help?
***********
Regards,
Ron

XL2002, WinXP


"Louise" wrote:

Help!

I have a file which I download from an intranet application. For some
reason one of the columns that comes in as a date field, is coming through in
some cells OK and in others as a text format (this is easily identifiable
depending on whether they are justifies to the left or right of the cell).
All the dates are valid (not 30th Feb), and my regional setting are fine too.
What I don't understand is that in all other columns the dates are fine, but
for some reason this one column is a mix and match of date and text and is
causing me problems (i want to import it into access). The only way to get
around this is to manually click in each of the text format cells and hit
enter and they change to date format and are correct, problem is i have over
10,000 lines like this!

Any suggestions appreciated,
Thanks,

Cell format with Data Import (date appearing as text)
 

Try this to see if it works:

highlight the column with the offending dates, click Data |
Text-to-columns then click <Finish on the first panel.

Hope this helps.

Pete

Louise wrote:
Help!

I have a file which I download from an intranet application. For some
reason one of the columns that comes in as a date field, is coming through in
some cells OK and in others as a text format (this is easily identifiable
depending on whether they are justifies to the left or right of the cell).
All the dates are valid (not 30th Feb), and my regional setting are fine too.
What I don't understand is that in all other columns the dates are fine, but
for some reason this one column is a mix and match of date and text and is
causing me problems (i want to import it into access). The only way to get
around this is to manually click in each of the text format cells and hit
enter and they change to date format and are correct, problem is i have over
10,000 lines like this!

Any suggestions appreciated,
Thanks,

Cell format with Data Import (date appearing as text)
 

Wow - Thank you - you have just saved me hours each month! It worked
perfectly!!!


"Ron Coderre" wrote:

I'm guessing that there's more going on than you're aware of. Excel usually
exhibits that behavior when it's dealing with text.

Do the problem values have leading or trailing spaces?

Meanwhile, you might try this:
Select the column of dates

Then, from the Excel main menu:
<data<text-to-columns
Click [next] twice
Column data format: Date
Click [Finish]

Does that help?
***********
Regards,
Ron

XL2002, WinXP


"Louise" wrote:

Help!

I have a file which I download from an intranet application. For some
reason one of the columns that comes in as a date field, is coming through in
some cells OK and in others as a text format (this is easily identifiable
depending on whether they are justifies to the left or right of the cell).
All the dates are valid (not 30th Feb), and my regional setting are fine too.
What I don't understand is that in all other columns the dates are fine, but
for some reason this one column is a mix and match of date and text and is
causing me problems (i want to import it into access). The only way to get
around this is to manually click in each of the text format cells and hit
enter and they change to date format and are correct, problem is i have over
10,000 lines like this!

Any suggestions appreciated,
Thanks,