Stop Numbers form auto-formatting imported data

Question

I use a program to track my time, and it exports as a tab-delimited text file. This should be perfect, just import the data into a Numbers table and bada-bing, right?
Unfortunately, Numbers is taking it upon itself to auto-format the data as it comes in. For example, there are 2 columns in the report that get auto-formatted. The event start column is exported in the form: dd/mm/yyyy hh:mm, and this is handled fine. The duration column is exported in the form: hh:mm, yet is auto formatted as dd/mm/yyyy hh:mm by Numbers.
Does anyone know a way to stop Numbers from doing this? My only quick workaround is to import the report in Excel first, then open the Excel xsls file in Numbers (and at that point, why bother using Numbers at all?).
HELP!

Answer 1

No need to use two applications!
--[SCRIPT dateTime2duration.app]
Enregistrer le script en tant que Script, Application ou Progiciel : dateTime2duration.xxx
déplacer l'application créée dans le dossier
<VolumeDeDémarrage>:Users:<votreCompte>:Library:Scripts:Applications:Numbers:
Il vous faudra peut-être créer le dossier Numbers et peut-être même le dossier Applications.
Sélectionner les cellules à convertir
menu Scripts > Numbers > dateTime2duration
Le script insère les durées correspondantes.
--=====
L'aide du Finder explique:
L'Utilitaire AppleScript permet d'activer le Menu des scripts :
Ouvrez l'Utilitaire AppleScript situé dans le dossier Applications/AppleScript.
Cochez la case "Afficher le menu des scripts dans la barre de menus".
+++++++
Save the script as a Script, an Application or an Application Bundle: dateTime2duration.xxx
Move the newly created application into the folder:
<startup Volume>:Users:<yourAccount>:Library:Scripts:Applications:Numbers:
Maybe you would have to create the folder Numbers and even the folder Applications by yourself.
Select cells to convert.
menu Scripts > Numbers > dateTime2durationNumbers
The script insert the corresponding durations.
--=====
The Finder's Help explains:
To make the Script menu appear:
Open the AppleScript utility located in Applications/AppleScript.
Select the "Show Script Menu in menu bar" checkbox.
--=====
Yvan KOENIG (Vallauris FRANCE)
14 mai 2009
--=====
on run
set {dName, sName, tName, rname, rowNum1, colNum1, rowNum2, colNum2} to my getSelParams()
set localOffset to (time to GMT)
tell application "Numbers" to tell document dName to tell sheet sName to tell table tName
repeat with x from colNum1 to colNum2
tell column x
repeat with y from rowNum1 to rowNum2
try
set theDate to (value of cell y)
if class of theDate is date then
tell (theDate - localOffset)
set {hh, mm, ss} to {(its hours) as text, its minutes, its seconds}
end tell
set value of cell y to hh & "h" & mm & "m" & ss & "s"
end if -- class…
end try
end repeat -- y
end tell -- column x
end repeat -- x
end tell -- Numbers …
end run
--=====
on getSelParams()
local r_Name, t_Name, s_Name, d_Name, col_Num1, row_Num1, col_Num2, row_Num2
set {d_Name, s_Name, t_Name, r_Name} to my getSelection()
if r_Name is missing value then
if my parleAnglais() then
error "No selected cells"
else
error "Il n'y a pas de cellule sélectionnée !"
end if
end if
set two_Names to my decoupe(r_Name, ":")
set {row_Num1, col_Num1} to my decipher(item 1 of two_Names, d_Name, s_Name, t_Name)
if item 2 of two_Names = item 1 of two_Names then
set {row_Num2, col_Num2} to {row_Num1, col_Num1}
else
set {row_Num2, col_Num2} to my decipher(item 2 of two_Names, d_Name, s_Name, t_Name)
end if
return {d_Name, s_Name, t_Name, r_Name, row_Num1, col_Num1, row_Num2, col_Num2}
end getSelParams
--=====
on decipher(n, d, s, t)
tell application "Numbers" to tell document d to tell sheet s to tell table t to return {address of row of cell n, address of column of cell n}
end decipher
--=====
set { d_Name, s_Name, t_Name, r_Name} to my getSelection()
on getSelection()
local _, theRange, theTable, theSheet, theDoc, errMsg, errNum
tell application "Numbers" to tell document 1
repeat with i from 1 to the count of sheets
tell sheet i
set x to the count of tables
if x > 0 then
repeat with y from 1 to x
try
(selection range of table y) as text
on error errMsg number errNum
set {_, theRange, _, theTable, _, theSheet, _, theDoc} to my decoupe(errMsg, quote)
return {theDoc, theSheet, theTable, theRange}
end try
end repeat -- y
end if -- x>0
end tell -- sheet
end repeat -- i
end tell -- document
return {missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value}
end getSelection
--=====
on decoupe(t, d)
local l
set AppleScript's text item delimiters to d
set l to text items of t
set AppleScript's text item delimiters to ""
return l
end decoupe
--=====
on parleAnglais()
local z
try
tell application "Numbers" to set z to localized string "Cancel"
on error
set z to "Cancel"
end try
return (z is not "Annuler")
end parleAnglais
--=====
--[/SCRIPT]
Yvan KOENIG (from FRANCE jeudi 14 mai 2009 14:01:29)