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#1
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How to change date from US to UK format
Hi all, I have a large-ish spreadsheet (4000 entries) with a date of birth column. For some reason when this file was ported from SPSS into Excel, before being sent to me, the dates of birth got a bit screwed up. ABout a third of them are in the format I want. UK format with day-month-year. The rest are in US format with the month first. At the moment I'm having to just go through them and type or copy hem into a new column. Its essential I have the whole column in UK format. Is there any formulas that can do this for me to save me typing it all out?!! Any help would be MUCH appreciated!!! -- martin0642 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ martin0642's Profile: http://www.excelforum.com/member.php...o&userid=27589 View this thread: http://www.excelforum.com/showthread...hreadid=483447 |
#2
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How to change date from US to UK format
The danger you have is that some dates are mis-converted. Some dates will be correct format, and will align to the right of the column (widen the column to seperate the two formats) Other dates are 'text' entries, and as such are not considered dates, and align to the left of the column. You can seperate these by entering in B1 (assuming your dates are in column A, and column B is empty) =IF(ISERROR(MONTH(A1)),A1,"") and formula-copy that down your 4,000 odd lines. This should give you a column of non-dates. (so to speak) Copy column B and Paste Special, Values back over column B. Highlight Column B and Data, Text to Columns, and select the correct date format (DMY or MDY as the dates exist) and 'Finish' This should convert all the previously non-date values into dates. In C1 put =if(B1="",A1,B1) and formula copy that for the 4,000 rows. Copy column C and Paste Special Values over itsself (column C) You can then remove columns A & B but you will need to check those dates that were initially converted, I suspect there will be errors there. If you can retrieve a copy of the original file of dates before any conversion that would be excellant, set a column as Text format, paste them in, and then do Text to Columns on the complete column specifying the correct format. Cound I guess that these were originally imported under Excel '97? Of course, SAVE your work under a different filename before you make ant changes. martin0642 Wrote: Hi all, I have a large-ish spreadsheet (4000 entries) with a date of birth column. For some reason when this file was ported from SPSS into Excel, before being sent to me, the dates of birth got a bit screwed up. ABout a third of them are in the format I want. UK format with day-month-year. The rest are in US format with the month first. At the moment I'm having to just go through them and type or copy hem into a new column. Its essential I have the whole column in UK format. Is there any formulas that can do this for me to save me typing it all out?!! Any help would be MUCH appreciated!!! -- Bryan Hessey ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bryan Hessey's Profile: http://www.excelforum.com/member.php...o&userid=21059 View this thread: http://www.excelforum.com/showthread...hreadid=483447 |
#3
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How to change date from US to UK format
Thank you!!! It worked. You saved me a LOT of retyping!! Thanks again :) -- martin0642 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ martin0642's Profile: http://www.excelforum.com/member.php...o&userid=27589 View this thread: http://www.excelforum.com/showthread...hreadid=483447 |
#4
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How to change date from US to UK format
Before you celebrate, you may want to format that column of dates to an
unambiguous format: mmmm dd, yyyy Then compare some of the birthdates to the original source. If someone's birthdate we 01/02/03, it may look like a valid date after you imported it, but it might not be the real date (Jan 2, 2003, Feb 1, 1903) martin0642 wrote: Thank you!!! It worked. You saved me a LOT of retyping!! Thanks again :) -- martin0642 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ martin0642's Profile: http://www.excelforum.com/member.php...o&userid=27589 View this thread: http://www.excelforum.com/showthread...hreadid=483447 -- Dave Peterson |
#5
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How to change date from US to UK format
Thanks Dave, that's what I would have suspected (as per my comments) If the incorrect dates can be identified (ie, original 'Dates', or all have Month and Day < 13) then they can be cured with something like =MONTH(A1)&"/"&DAY(A1)&"/"&YEAR(A1) or =DAY(A1)&"/"&MONTH(A1)&"/"&YEAR(A1) but, identifying is the problem. Dave Peterson Wrote: Before you celebrate, you may want to format that column of dates to an unambiguous format: mmmm dd, yyyy Then compare some of the birthdates to the original source. If someone's birthdate we 01/02/03, it may look like a valid date after you imported it, but it might not be the real date (Jan 2, 2003, Feb 1, 1903) martin0642 wrote: Thank you!!! It worked. You saved me a LOT of retyping!! Thanks again :) -- martin0642 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ martin0642's Profile: http://www.excelforum.com/member.php...o&userid=27589 View this thread: http://www.excelforum.com/showthread...hreadid=483447 -- Dave Peterson -- Bryan Hessey ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bryan Hessey's Profile: http://www.excelforum.com/member.php...o&userid=21059 View this thread: http://www.excelforum.com/showthread...hreadid=483447 |
#6
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How to change date from US to UK format
I find it much safer to reimport the data from the original source.
(Then I can sleep better at night <bg.) Bryan Hessey wrote: Thanks Dave, that's what I would have suspected (as per my comments) If the incorrect dates can be identified (ie, original 'Dates', or all have Month and Day < 13) then they can be cured with something like =MONTH(A1)&"/"&DAY(A1)&"/"&YEAR(A1) or =DAY(A1)&"/"&MONTH(A1)&"/"&YEAR(A1) but, identifying is the problem. Dave Peterson Wrote: Before you celebrate, you may want to format that column of dates to an unambiguous format: mmmm dd, yyyy Then compare some of the birthdates to the original source. If someone's birthdate we 01/02/03, it may look like a valid date after you imported it, but it might not be the real date (Jan 2, 2003, Feb 1, 1903) martin0642 wrote: Thank you!!! It worked. You saved me a LOT of retyping!! Thanks again :) -- martin0642 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ martin0642's Profile: http://www.excelforum.com/member.php...o&userid=27589 View this thread: http://www.excelforum.com/showthread...hreadid=483447 -- Dave Peterson -- Bryan Hessey ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bryan Hessey's Profile: http://www.excelforum.com/member.php...o&userid=21059 View this thread: http://www.excelforum.com/showthread...hreadid=483447 -- Dave Peterson |
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