date format problem

D

Dave

I have a schedule from an internet page that i am trying to save as an excel
file.
I have opened the page in the "print" format, which lays it out in nice neat
columns and rows. Then I try to edit with excel and it shows up on an excel
sheet all neat and tidy but the dates are all screwed up.
I have tried numerous ways of saving the webpage and opening in excel,
cutting and pasting, but all to no avail.... excel is changing the dates to
very mysterious ones that have no relation to the real ones.
I realise that it is "reading" them incorrectly, but I don't know how to get
around that. There are too many to go in and change manually.
any ideas?
Dave
 
R

Ron Rosenfeld

I have a schedule from an internet page that i am trying to save as an excel
file.
I have opened the page in the "print" format, which lays it out in nice neat
columns and rows. Then I try to edit with excel and it shows up on an excel
sheet all neat and tidy but the dates are all screwed up.
I have tried numerous ways of saving the webpage and opening in excel,
cutting and pasting, but all to no avail.... excel is changing the dates to
very mysterious ones that have no relation to the real ones.
I realise that it is "reading" them incorrectly, but I don't know how to get
around that. There are too many to go in and change manually.
any ideas?
Click to expand...

You don't provide enough information for specific trouble shooting. Most
likely, the date format that you are bringing into excel is not what excel
expects (i.e. M D Y in a different order). Other problems include text vs
number entries, and the hard spaces that are sometimes added to web pages.

If you want more help, you will have to be more specific:

1. What do you see for a date on the internet page and what do you see in
Excel? (Exactly, not generally).

When you say "the dates are all screwed up" what exactly does that
mean? Does it affect "all" of the dates or just some?

2. What do you mean by "print" format? I don't see that listed as an option
on the Excel 2002 "View" menu, and it is not possible to edit from the Print
Preview screen.

3. How exactly are you trying to save the internet page as an excel file?


--ron
 
G

Gord Dibben

Dave

You can do this in two steps.

1. On web page hit Edit>Select all.
In blank worksheet in Excel, paste special>text
Data>Text to Columns>Fixed width>Next>Next.
Select first column and "format column as" date>mdy
Select second column and "format column as" date>mdy
Select third column and "do not import(skip)"
Finish

You now have column A and B with the proper dates.

2. Select Column C and paste(not paste special) the clipboard contents again.
Delete Column C and D with the bogus dates.

You will have to clean up the Start Date and End Date headers in row one.

Gord Dibben Excel MVP
 
D

Dave

thanks!


Gord Dibben said:
Dave

You can do this in two steps.

1. On web page hit Edit>Select all.
In blank worksheet in Excel, paste special>text
Data>Text to Columns>Fixed width>Next>Next.
Select first column and "format column as" date>mdy
Select second column and "format column as" date>mdy
Select third column and "do not import(skip)"
Finish

You now have column A and B with the proper dates.

2. Select Column C and paste(not paste special) the clipboard contents again.
Delete Column C and D with the bogus dates.

You will have to clean up the Start Date and End Date headers in row one.

Gord Dibben Excel MVP
Click to expand...
 
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