Imported text gets refomatted as date (Excel 2002/SP2)

[JoeCool]

When I read tab delimited ASCII data into Excel, if it contains data of the format ##-##-## or ##/##/##, the cells are automatically formatted as "date" which loses the content of the original cell. For example, if I have a text file containing the following 02-01-02, it gets read in as 02/01/2002 and I lose the ability to change it's format back to 02-01-02. Is there a way to keep this automatic date format from being applied?

[sdckapr]

You can write your own routine to import instead of leaving it to excel.

Record a macro and choose text for the column desired and see what the code is. This will be a good starting point for your macro.

Steve

[JoeCool]

Thanks Steve,

That works. I was hoping for something like a setting so that I can have the users set some parameter and then just drag and drop the files into Excel.

Thanks again.
-Joe

[LegareColeman]

Are you using Data|Get External Data|Import Text File to import the file? If so, when I use the settings shown below it imports the fields as text, not dates:

[JoeCool]

Legare,

By default, mine comes in as "General", but then if the fields follow the format of what "could be" a date, they get formatted as date.

If I use the method that you describe or even open the file from the "File, Open" menu, I can force the format for that column to text (which works great), but ideally I could turn this automatic format recognition off so that I can either drag and drop the file into Excel or put the cursor over the data file in Windows Explorer and use RMB-Open With, Excel.

[LegareColeman]

I don't think that you can do it the ideal way. The best you can do is create a macro that does the Data|Get External Data|Import Text File. Then run that macro from a menu or button.