can't enter current static date... it makes it 1 Jan 2004!

[philosopherdog]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

Greetings. I'm just trying to do something very basic in Excel, namely enter the current static date. The shortcut key is command+; Anyhow, what I'm getting is the date 1 jan 04 instead of the current date. The time seems to enter fine, which is something.

 

[JE McGimpsey]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

Greetings. I'm just trying to do something very basic in Excel, namely enter
the current static date. The shortcut key is command+; Anyhow, what I'm
getting is the date 1 jan 04 instead of the current date. The time seems to
enter fine, which is something.

According to the XL Help, Excel Keyboard Shortcuts topic, Command-; by
default inserts the time, not the date.

The date is entered with CTRL-;

You're seeing 1 Jan 04 (which if you'd expand the format, would display
1 Jan 1904) because XL stores dates as integer offsets from the base
date.

Times are stored as fractional days, so 12:00 noon = 0.5, 6:00 pm = 0.75.

By default, XL08 uses the 1904 date system, so values in your cell are
added to 1/1/1904 to calculate the date.

Since by adding the time, you're adding a value less than one, the date
doesn't change and you get your 1 Jan 04 result.

 

[philosopherdog]

Ok, that totally clears it up! Excellent reply. Cheers