Importing number with dash changes to date

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dee Sperling
  • Start date Start date
D

Dee Sperling

I'm imporint data (which I have no control over) into Excel. Some of the
number contain 2 digits, a dash, then 6 more digits, for ex 02-9098 Excel
interprets that number as Feb 1, 9098. Changing the cell format to number or
text does not get the original value back, instead, I get 2629049 which is
obviously not correct.

Is there a way to undo the date and get the original number back?

Thanks,
Dee Sperling
 
When you import the data (either programmatically or manually), tell Excel
that the field is Text. That way, no conversion will take place.
 
Hello Dee,
Excel 2007:
I framed in a group of cells.Then: Home, Number, Format Cells and Text. Now
it was
possible to enter 05-9078 without it being turned into a date 7000 years
from now.

Best Regards,

Gabor Sebo
 
Hello Dee,

Too bad that you can't have the data resent to you.
In that case you could format the receiving area of cells as: Text.
The closest that you could recover the original data is if you take the
Feb-98 ( entered as 02-9098) cell and format it as date.
The result then is: 2/1/9098 which may be programmed to become 02-9098.

Best regards,

Gabor Sebo
 
hello Dee,

I have entered 02-9098 into A1
came out as: Feb-98
specified date for cell, came out as: 2/1/9098
month(a1)=2
day(a1)=1
year(a1)=9098
giving you your "2" and "9098".
Drop me a note if this does not help.

Gabor
 
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