Converting from text/general format to date

[slevinmj]

Hi,

My ultimate goal is to sort some data in an excel spreadsheet imported from a csv file in date (chronological) order. However I've established I cant do this at the moment as although the contents of the cell is for example 01/07/2010 it is in a text or general format and not date format. So when I sort I get a list sorted by first digit only.

Is there a formula that would convert the general / text in a cell for example 01/07/2010 to a date format which could be then sorted into chronological order?

 

[VoG]

Try this: select the dates, Data > Text to Columns, click Next twice, tick Date, select DMY and click Finish.

 

[Richard Schollar]

Formula-wise:

=DATEVALUE(A1)

where A1 holds your "date".

You could do the whole lot in one go by selecting the A column (amend as required) and going Data>TextToColumns>Finish

 

[fengflytiger]

=MID(a1,7,4)&MID(a1,4,2)&MID(a1,1,2).use the formula can solve the snag

 

[slevinmj]

Cheers thank's for your help everyone worked a treat