XL: Changing an Integer to an Excel Serial Number

ID: Q123575

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 5.0, 5.0a
Microsoft Excel for Windows NT, version 5.0
Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition

SUMMARY

Many programs export dates as integers. This article contains a sample Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications macro (Sub procedure) that transforms an integer date to a Microsoft Excel serial number. This example assumes that the integer date is in the active cell of the worksheet in the form of 980812 (that is, year|month|day).

The macro can be adapted for other integer date formats by changing the references in the DATE function.

MORE INFORMATION

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language being demonstrated and the tools used to create and debug procedures. Microsoft support professionals can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific needs. If you have limited programming experience, you may want to contact the Microsoft fee-based consulting line at (800) 936-5200. For more information about the support options available from Microsoft, please see the following page on the World Wide Web:

   http://www.microsoft.com/support/supportnet/refguide/

CAUTION: This macro will overwrite the original date with the new date.

To run the macro, follow these steps:

1. Type the following code into a module sheet:

      Sub ConvertInteger()

          ' Extract the first two digits.
          yr = Fix(ActiveCell * 0.0001)

          ' Extract the second two digits.
          mo = Right(Fix((ActiveCell - (yr * 10000)) * 0.01), 2)

          ' Extract the last two digits.
          dy = ActiveCell - (Fix(ActiveCell * 0.01) * 100)

          ' Return the result to the original cell in Microsoft Excel date
          ' format.
          ActiveCell.Value = DateSerial(yr, mo, dy)

      End Sub

2. Click a cell in a worksheet that has a date that needs to be converted,

   and click Macro on the Tools menu. (In Microsoft Excel 97 and Microsoft
   Excel 98, click the Tools menu, point to Macro, and then click Macros.)

3. Select the name "ConvertInteger," and click Run.

If the active cell contained the number "970604" (without the quotation marks) the ConvertInteger subroutine will convert the cell contents to "6/4/97" (without the quotation marks). Microsoft Excel will recognize the new contents of the cell as a date, so you can perform date calculations on the cell.

Additional query words: 5.00 5.00a 5.00c 7.00 7.00a XL98 XL97 XL7 XL5

Keywords          : kbprg kbdta kbdtacode PgmOthr PgmHowto KbVBA 
Version           : WINDOWS:5.0,5.0c,7.0,7.0a,97; MACINTOSH:5.0,98
Platform          : MACINTOSH WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbhowto

Last Reviewed: May 17, 1999