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lornafnb's avatar
lornafnb
Helper I
4 years ago
Solved

Multiple date formats in column

Good day - my first post on the Forum! :)-   I'm reading from an Excel file, and the format of the date column is either 2021/11/08, or March '22 (in this case, it can default to 2022/11/01). I su...
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  • Vijay_A_Verma's avatar
    Vijay_A_Verma
    4 years ago

    Leave everything, in a custom column put this. That's it. 

    = Date.From(if Text.Contains(Text.From([Live date]),"'") then "1"&Text.Replace([Live date],"'","") else [Live date])

     If you want to convert this column to a date, select column - Transform tab - Detect data type

lornafnb's avatar
lornafnb
Helper I
4 years ago

Hello, thank you very much for your response.

1. I have tried the first option, but it gives me an error - would you mind if I send you the file here? I'm not sure how to attach it here.

2. How do I create a blank query (3rd point in your reply)?

So much appreciated. Thanks

Vijay_A_Verma's avatar
Vijay_A_Verma
Most Valuable Professional
4 years ago

1. Make sure [Date] is replaced with your column name.

2. Ideal will be to upload the file without confidential/sensitive data to a cloud storage service such as Onedrive/Google Drive/Dropbox/Box (Onedrive preferred) and share the link here.

3. For Blank query - Right click on left side pane - New Query - Blank Query

  • lornafnb's avatar
    lornafnb
    Helper I
    4 years ago

    Unfortunately my organization prevents using any of these services

  • lornafnb's avatar
    lornafnb
    Helper I
    4 years ago

    1. My Field name is 'Live date' so my new column looks like this..

    Date.From(if Text.Contains([Live date],"'") then "1"&Text.Replace([Live date],"'","") else[Live date])

    2. The [Live date] is currently a text field.

    3. The New field is also a text field - the "replace" part in the script above works...(although it is still Text format..

    4. However the dates that were (correct) dates before, produce the error.

    I suspect it might be a Data type error?

    • Vijay_A_Verma's avatar
      Vijay_A_Verma
      Most Valuable Professional
      4 years ago

      Can you click on one of the errors and post the error here? To have the column in date format, use below step (Replace Source with your previous step)

      = Table.AddColumn(Source, "Custom", each Date.From(if Text.Contains([Live date],"'") then "1"&Text.Replace([Live date],"'","") else[Live date]), type date)

       OR you can select the Custom column - Transform menu - Detect data type

      • lornafnb's avatar
        lornafnb
        Helper I
        4 years ago

        I'm so sorry - I am really stupid with this.

        1. The error message that the values cannot be converted to text - so your thinking that it needs to be converted to date is correct.

        2. In your suggestion - it starts with Table.Addcolumn....why is that - I still have a query, not a table...

         

        thanks