Sort Left to Right not working

J

Juan

HI,
ok getting a bit frustrated don't understand why this is not working: I have
following
info has headers in Row1
Prodgr part#, 04/04/2005 04/09/2003 04/11/2003 05/12/2005
05/22/2003

I want to sort the dates left to right so should be
04/09/2003 04/11/2003 05/22/2003 04/04/2005 05/12/2005
I did the data-->sort-->options-->left to right, but it doesn't work.
Yesterday I tested and did work.
FYI, the format shows General, but if I try to format as date it doesnt' do
it. But if I go into the cell and hit enter then it does change the format.
Why would I have to go into the cell and hit enter? Once I do this, then the
Left to right works.

Can anyone have help with this?


Thanks,
Juan
 
D

Dave Peterson

Excel isn't seeing your dates as dates--it's seeing them as just plain old text.

This might work (if those dates match the same format as your short date
format--mdy??).

Select the range of "dates"
edit|replace
what: /
with: /
replace all

(it might make excel see your text as dates.)

The try reformatting the cells -- if the displayed text changes, try sorting the
data.
 
G

Gord Dibben

Juan

Sounds like the dates are actually text.

Select them and Data>Text to Columns>Next>Next>Column Data Format>Date.

Select DMY and Finish.

Your textual dates should become real dates.


Gord Dibben Excel MVP
 
J

Juan

Hello Gord and Dave,

thanks alot for the help. These both options seem to work fine.

Thanks again,

Juan
 
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