Don't wish to start anything confrontational Bryan, but this is quoted from
the OP:

<<<"(entered as 81096, for example) to valid date format, 8/10/96"

So, you must admit, it's *not* as you said:
<<<"or perhaps the 6th of September 1981, and I see nothing in the OP's
posting to indicate which"

AND ... here is what I said (emphasis added):
<<<"The 5 digits as posted by the OP ***[ as an American format (mdy) ]***
will also
*always* work correctly.
The actual criteria of accuracy being that the middle reference *and* the
ending reference are *2* digits."

The intentions of the OP are really a mute point.

The point in focus was your statement that:
<<<"it (TTC) seems to have no luck with 5 character dates as displayed by
the OP"

I just wished to show that there are circumstances where 5 characters would
definitely *always* produce accurate returns, and I mentioned those
circumstances.

So, to *rephrase* my post:

TTC will *always* return correct dates in American format using 5 digits as
long as the middle and ending references are 2 digits.

That's all I said.
It shouldn't be confusing and should be easily understood.

11196 is *not* ambiguous using the criteria I stated above.

--

Regards,

RD
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------
Please keep all correspondence within the Group, so all may benefit !
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------

"Bryan Hessey"
wrote in message
news:Bryan.Hessey.1y9x6m_1131613807.0867@excelforu m-nospam.com...

The date posted by the OP was either the 10th day of August or the 8th
day of October, or perhaps the 6th of September 1981, and I see nothing
in the OP's posting to indicate which, but I am unaware of the OP's
details except those included in the post

As I commented earlier, I see no date function that can determine
whether 11196 is the 1st of November or the 11th of January, but I
agree that the year appears to be 1996.

As I also said, 10 is not a fair indicator of whether all dates have
two digits for the middle portion.


RagDyeR Wrote:
I agree with you that 6 digits will always work correctly, but ... allow
me
to nit-pick.<g

The 5 digits as posted by the OP as an American format (mdy) will also
*always* work correctly.

The actual criteria of accuracy being that the middle reference *and*
the
ending reference are *2* digits.

Try *any* American 5 digit format with the above criteria and you'll
see
what I mean.

--

Regards,

RD
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
-------------------
Please keep all correspondence within the Group, so all may benefit !
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
-------------------

"Bryan Hessey"

wrote in message
news:Bryan.Hessey.1y7rva_1131513601.0954@excelforu m-nospam.com...

Whilst I agree that TTC is usually best, it will correctly convert 6
character dates, it seems to have no luck with 5 character dates as
displayed by the OP.

Providing that the middle unit (Months for English dates, Days for
American dates)are entered as 2 digit format (the number '10' is not a
good indicater) then either a formula of

=text(a1,"000000")

and then put through TTC, or



=IF(LEN(A1)=6,LEFT(A1,2)&"/"&MID(A1,3,2)&"/"&MID(A1,5,2),LEFT(A1,1)&"/"&MID(
A1,2,2)&"/"&MID(A1,4,2))
or


=IF(LEN(A1)=6,MID(A1,3,2)&"/"&MID(A1,1,2)&"/"&MID(A1,5,2),MID(A1,2,2)&"/"&MI[color=blue]
D(A1,1,1)&"/"&MID(A1,4,2))

will give an English or American date format.

However, if the middle figure (of DMY or MDY) is a single digit, there
is no way to detect 11196 as being a mid-January or early-November
date
in either system.

Hope this helps (as opposed to adding confusion)


RagDyer Wrote:
TTC is usually the easiest and the best way to convert this type of
text
to
true dates,
*BUT*
In the third page of the wizard, after clicking on "Date",
One must realize that the format to click on,
Is *not* the format you want to display,
BUT the format that the present text is currently in.
You're telling TTC where to convert *from*.

If this choice is not done correctly, either no conversion will be
made
(not
so bad), or a wrong conversion will be made (bad).

After the true dates are established, then they can be custom
formatted
to
the desired display.
--
Regards,

RD


--
Bryan Hessey
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bryan Hessey's Profile:
http://www.excelforum.com/member.php...o&userid=21059
View this thread: http://www.excelforum.com/showthread...hreadid=483305