This isn't really much use but I thought I'd tell you anyway - it
seems to follow the short date settings for the system (Control Panel
Regional and Language Options > Customize this format). I changed
mine from "dd/mm/yyy" to "d mmm yyy" and I noticed that the excel
footer changed from 04/09/09 to 4 09 09. with "dd m yyy" excel showed
04 9 09. So it seems that excel recognises when there is an "/" in
the date format and it recognises the difference between m & mm but it
does not know how to do mmm or yyy. Strange. But it may not matter
anyway as the sheet would take on the short date format setting from
the PC of whoever you send the spreadsheet to anyway.
Sorry thats not a proper answer. There may be one out there but I'm
afraid that's my penny's worth.
Stuart Bisset
www.insightmodelling.com