How to change a date from 19990812 to 08-12-1999?

[bcmsmom]

Trying to change a date in cells that are downloaded as 19990812 to
08-12-1999? Anybody have a way of doing it? Changing format doesn't work.

 

[Ken Wright]

Just select all the dates at once (Whole column if you want) and do Data /
Text To Columns / Delimited or Fixed width (Either will do) / Then choose
"Date" and pick either YMD or YDM, whichever one works for you and your
settings (YMD for me)

Regards
Ken..................................
..

 

[John C]

It is probably because it is text. Try the following:
Assuming your value is in A1.
=TEXT(DATE(LEFT(A1,4),MID(A1,5,2),RIGHT(A1,2)),"mm-dd-yyyy")

Or, you could just use the formula:
=DATE(LEFT(A1,4),MID(A1,5,2),RIGHT(A1,2))

And format the cell through your menu as normal.

Hope this helps.

 

[Rick Rothstein \(MVP - VB\)]

Trying to change a date in cells that are downloaded as 19990812

Assuming your value is in A1.
=TEXT(DATE(LEFT(A1,4),MID(A1,5,2),RIGHT(A1,2)),"mm-dd-yyyy")

Because the OP has his date components in the "universal date" order, a
shorter TEXT function solution exists...

=--TEXT(A1,"0000-00-00")

Rick