[Solved] Unable to change date format after CSV import

[Howardofski]

I am attaching a spreadsheet. Column A (showing dates) was copied and pasted from a downloaded CVS file. I find that I cannot change the date formatting. In B1 I have typed a copy of A1 and I find that I can change the date format for that cell, but not the original.

All the downloaded data in column A cannot be re-formatted.

Thanks for any clues

LOCKED FORMAT.ods

(9.76 KiB) Downloaded 92 times

Edit: Changed subject, was Date Format Mystery  Make your post understandable by others  -- MrProgrammer, forum moderator

[RoryOF]

Turn on /View /Value highlighting; that tells that Column A values are all text, B1 entry is a number (a date).

Text shows as Black, numbers as Blue, formulae as Green

[FJCC]

You can convert column A to numeric dates by doing the following:
Select all of the filled cells in column A and set their format code to YYYY-MM-DD using the menu Format -> Cells
With the cells still selected, choose the menu Data -> Text to Columns
Set the Separator to Tab and click OK. That will reenter all the selected cells.

[Howardofski]

Thanks much RoryOF & FJCC