MS Excel automatically converts numeric fields to date format

I have at least 2 different spreadsheets where this happens. I maintain them for months, adding, changing, deleting data. They contain lots of data elements (numeric, text, date, etc). Some columns are all numeric, some all dates,
etc. Then suddenly when I open the spreadsheet, my numeric formatted data has been converted to date format. I see lots of # signs in cells, which is an indication that this happened, and selecting an affected cell shows a date, generally in the
early 1900s, depending on the original numeric value that was in the cell. I convert the fields back to numeric, but sometime later the same problem occurs -- numeric fields are now date formatted. I cannot identfy any specific change that I make
that would cause this. And I only recognize it as having occurred when I open the spreadsheet, not anytime during its maintenance. I am using MS Excel 2007 SP2 in a Windows XP SP3 environment. The machine is well maintained and updated /
kept current by our corporate IT group. I have done numerous Internet searches and cannot find anything like this in any other blog. Thanks for your help.

Hi,
Were some of the these data imported from a .csv file? As far as I know, data formats cannot be saved in .csv file. If this is the situation, try this:
Save a copy of your .csv file changing the extension of your file from .csv to .txt
open excel.
go to DATA --> Import external data --> Import data --> browse to find the .txt file you made earlier
The text import wizard should open.
Click on delimited, click next
click comma, click next
You should now see all columns appear with heading GENERAL --> highlight the columns with the values that are changing to date and click TEXT (top right) instead. The heading of these columns should now change to TEXT.
click finish
Excel will now treat the column as text when it imports the data and will not change them to dates
If this is not the situation, this issue might be caused by some add-ins.
Start Excel in safe mode: Press and hold the
CTRL key, and then click the Excel program to start. Then, click File > Open to open the Excel file.
If the problem does not occur in the safe mode, this issue might be related to some third-party add-ins in the Office program, we can try to disable them.
Best Regards,
Sally Tang

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Convert varchar2 field into date formatted: DD-MON-YYYY

Thanks in advance for anyone's help on this matter as I know it takes your time and expertise. I am pretty new to SQL but learning my way through it just have an issue with a text to date field conversion. It is an Oracle 10g database and I am writing in SQL. There is a field called Demand which is formatted in varchar2 format of ddmmyy. There is also a field that is formatted as a date called Payment which is formatted as DD-MON-YYYY.
Essentially I need to do a simple Payment >= Demand, however as you can see that is some issue with that being a varchar2 field. Does anyone know if it is possible to do that type of expression against those two fields. Was thinking about possibly converting the varchar2 to a date but not sure how to get to that DD-MON-YYYY format.
Also there are situations where this Demand field will often times be null as it would have never recieved any outbound correspondence in the past and would not have a date at all.
Thanks
Edited by: user10860766 on Aug 18, 2009 8:14 AM
Edited by: user10860766 on Aug 18, 2009 8:19 AM

Hi,
It's hard to detect bad dates in pure SQL, especially if you need to be precise about when February 29 is valid.
It's easy with a user-define function, like the one in [this thread|http://forums.oracle.com/forums/thread.jspa?messageID=3669932&#3669932].
Edited by: Frank Kulash on Aug 18, 2009 3:50 PM
To create a stand-alone function:
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION     to_dt
(     in_txt          IN     VARCHAR2                    -- to be converted
,     in_fmt_txt     IN     VARCHAR2     DEFAULT     'DD-MON-YYYY'     -- optional format
,     in_err_dt     IN     DATE          DEFAULT     NULL
RETURN DATE
DETERMINISTIC
AS
BEGIN
     -- Try to convert in_txt to a DATE. If it works, fine.
     RETURN     TO_DATE (in_txt, in_fmt_txt);
EXCEPTION     -- If TO_DATE caused an error, then this is not a valid DATE: return in_err_dt
     WHEN OTHERS
     THEN
          RETURN in_err_dt;
END     to_dt
/To use it:
SELECT primary_key -- and/or other columns to identify the row
,       demand
FROM    table_x
WHERE   demand          IS NOT NULL
AND     to_dt ( demand
           , 'DDMMYY'
           )          IS NULL;

Excel converts numeric values to date

Hi,
I have a JSP page which is sending data to excel.
response.setContentType("application/vnd.ms-excel");
response.addHeader("Content-Disposition", "attachment;filename=\"a.xls\"");
I am using codes above. But excel converts numeric values to date. for example I send "18.5" but excel convert it to "18.May". But when I add " " before the value there is no problem. But I dont want to use this
how can I fix it. Thanks in advance.

hi,
the problem is not with your jsp encoding but with excel settings
enter the mathe-statistics block in your excel program change setting from date to numbers
that is all

How can change numeric value to date format? example value 1070131(CYYMMDD)

in the datatable can i change numeric value to date format . in database date value is like 1070131 (CYYMMDD). I want to see 31/01/07(DD/MM/YY) or 31 Jan 07 . Is it possible?
Thanks,

Did you solve your problem?

Convert Number to the date format

Hello,
In CRM, i want to input the number as a parameter and convert the number into Date format. Is there any function module in CRM which accepts the number and gives the date as output .
Example.
suppose input given is 734484
output : 12-12-2011 .
The number 734484 reflects the total number of days from '0000' to 12-12-2011
Regards,
Rohini

920575 wrote:
I have a sql like this:
select to_date('MAR','Mon', 'NLS_DATE_LANGUAGE=American') m from dualI want to display '3' instead of showing MAR...
I tried to use to_char(date,'MM') but the result will return '03'.
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Do you want a NUMBER or a string?
If you want the 1-character string '3', then use 'fmMM' instead of 'MM'.
select TO_CHAR ( to_date ('MAR', 'Mon', 'NLS_DATE_LANGUAGE=American')
                , 'FMMM'
                )   AS m
from    dualTO_CHAR sometimes adds padding (sometimes spaces, sometimes '0's) to make elements a constant width. For example, some months need 2 characters for the 'MM' format, so TO_CHAR, by default, left-pads with '0's to make all months 2 characters, whether they need 2 characters or not. Using 'FM' (case insensitive) IN the format string changes whether or not this kind of padding will be added.
You could also use LTRIM to remove the leading '0's in this case, but why remove them when it's easier not to generate them in the first place?

Converting float fields to date Time

I have an application that stores datetimes into float fields, the data is formatted yyyymmddhhmmss or 20081122091030. I need to convert this data to a datetime data type so I can do datetime calculations (differences) for reporting purposes. It would be preferable to have the data formatted yyyy/mm/dd hh:mms. I have tried numerous methods with out success. As I understand it I need to CONVERT to a VARCHAR first. I am new to TSQL & this one turning out to be a knotty problem so I would really appreciate anyone’s assistance,
SELECT (
LEFT(CAST(IS_DUE_DATE AS VARCHAR(14)),8) + ' ' +
    SUBSTRING(CAST(IS_DUE_DATE AS VARCHAR(14)),9,2) + ':' +
    SUBSTRING(CAST(IS_DUE_DATE AS VARCHAR(14)),11,2) + ':' +
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FROM ISSUES
However when I try to Covert to DATETIME it all goes pear shaped.

Try this
Code Snippet
DECLARE @MyDate float
SET @MyDate = 20090922112143997
SELECT CONVERT(DATETIME,
LEFT(CAST(CAST(@MyDate as BigInt) as varchar(20)),8)+' '+
SUBSTRING(CAST(CAST(@MyDate as BigInt) as varchar(20)),9,2)+':'+
SUBSTRING(CAST(CAST(@MyDate as BigInt) as varchar(20)),11,2)+':'+
SUBSTRING(CAST(CAST(@MyDate as BigInt) as varchar(20)),13,2) + '.' +
SUBSTRING(CAST(CAST(@MyDate as BigInt) as varchar(20)),15,3)
Added using a temp table:
Code Snippet
CREATE TABLE #T
fdate float
go
INSERT INTO #T VALUES (20090922112143997)
INSERT INTO #T VALUES (20090921182143997)
INSERT INTO #T VALUES (20090921012323997)
SELECT CONVERT(DATETIME,
LEFT(CAST(CAST(fdate as BigInt) as varchar(20)),8)+' '+
SUBSTRING(CAST(CAST(fdate as BigInt) as varchar(20)),9,2)+':'+
SUBSTRING(CAST(CAST(fdate as BigInt) as varchar(20)),11,2)+':'+
SUBSTRING(CAST(CAST(fdate as BigInt) as varchar(20)),13,2) + '.' +
SUBSTRING(CAST(CAST(fdate as BigInt) as varchar(20)),15,3)
FROM #T
DROP TABLE #T

Converting varchar field to date

I got a varchar field in DB with format YYYY/MM/DD HH:MI:SS in DB . I want to convert this to date field in RPD. When I did
CAST ( VarChar field AS DATE) in RPD it is not working I am getting sql error.
Thanks for your help.

Hi,
can you try once to cast your char as a timestamp.
Hope that works.
Kr,
A

Converting a string into Date format

I am currently using a JSP.
I currently need to convert a string that holds a date in "dd/mm/yyyy" format to the jva.sql.Date format.
Any ideas as to what the proper way of doing this is?
Many thanks ppl

public java.sql.Date parseDate(String s) {
java.text.DateFormat dateFormatter= new java.text.SimpleDateFormat("dd/MM/yyyy");
return new java.sql.Date(dateFormatter.parse(s).getTime());

Character field with date format alike & character entered

Hi all,
I got one character field created ( varchar2 ) for the purposed to let user the enter the date and also any character since it is a character field.
Hence, my field may contain the following data :-
Ship_date
01/10/2010
07/02/2011
15/01/2011
25/01/2011
31/01/2011
TBA
STOP
11/01/2011
TBA
Hence when come to sorting, I will like it to be date format like sorting so that the earlier date will display first then only follow by the character. The expected result will be :-
ship_date
01/10/2011
11/01/2011
15/01/2011
25/01/2011
31/01/2011
07/02/2011
STOP
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Trying to do the normal sorting, it does not exactly sort on the date format, as it only sort on the first two character on the date hence I am not getting the correct sorting on this.
01/10/2011
07/02/2011
11/01/2011
15/01/2011
25/01/2011
31/01/2011
STOP
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Could someone help me on this. Thanks.
Lim

Hi, Lim,
sm**** wrote:
Hi all,
I got one character field created ( varchar2 ) for the purposed to let user the enter the date and also any character since it is a character field.That's a very bad idea. Use a DATE column for storing dates. Have another, separate column for VARCHAR2 data.
Hence when come to sorting, I will like it to be date format like sorting so that the earlier date will display first then only follow by the character. The expected result will be :-
If you must deal with the table as it is:
ORDER BY CASE
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                    ) = '99/99/9999'
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       END
,       ship_dateThe CASE expressionj sorts anything the looks like a date ('99/99/9999' where '9' stands for any digit) first, in order by the last 4 digits, then the middle 2 digits. The first 2 digits are sorted by the second ORDER BY expression.
I will like it to be date format like sorting so that the earlier date will display first then only follow by the character. The expected result will be :-
ship_date
01/10/2011
11/01/2011
15/01/2011
25/01/2011
31/01/2011
07/02/2011That must be a mistake. I don't believe you want January to come after October and before February, but if you do, you can change what comes after THEN in the CASE expression.

How to convert a String to Date format?

the user enter a date in string format and the date is save in the database.
The problem i am facing is i want to change from String to Date format.
Here is my codes:
        public boolean insertData() throws Exception {
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        Date d = df.parse("05/18/05");
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My netbeans shows an error. There's a red line under DateFormat and parse inside my codes.
PLease help me. Reply asap!!

BebeGirl wrote:
My netbeans shows an error. There's a red line under DateFormat and parse inside my codes.
Red Line? Sounds ominous. I wonder what it means.
So...what does the error say?

Using USB NI-6008 on LV7.1 the results data has to be in Excel. It looks as cluster data format that i can not insert into excel VI

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TX arik
Attachments:
USB-6008-r3.vi ‏80 KB

Arik:
I hope all is well. If you are trying to write data to a text file along with the header information, you could do the following:
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2. Do your continuous acquisition (in a loop) using the 6008 and write the data to a file everytime.
3. With the proper formatting, your colums will represent channels and your rows data.
Please take a look at the attached example and let me know if you have any other questions.
Regards,
Rudi N.
Attachments:
WriteFilewHeaders.vi ‏64 KB

Convert Creationtime column to date format in table cwsys.cw_workspaces_tab

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Hello,
I think u can achieve this at query level.
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Gimme ur mail-id , i will forward a doc on this if u want...
Regards,
SRIKANTH
Message was edited by:
KANTH SRI

Add (concatenate) a string to the end of a numerical field value (custom format script)?

Hello All!
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George

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Thanks,
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Peter,
From snippets I've seen about the place, the microsfot calendar started in 1 jan 1900. I'm not even gonna think about the timezone but there is leap years an' stuff to think about and I'm feeling lazy in a kinda 'this code must be done before sorta way'.
You're making me feel guilty now. Like maybe there's not as much to it as I think.
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Any takers on where a ready made class might be living? :)
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MS Excel automatically converts numeric fields to date format

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