How to convert Date to text in Microsoft Excel

Excel is a great tool for managing data, and one of the most common data types in Excel is dates. In many cases, it might be useful to convert dates to text values, either for formatting purposes or to display dates in a specific way. In this article, we will explore how to convert date values to text values in Microsoft Excel using various methods.

Method 1: Using Text Function

The Text function is a built-in function in Excel that converts a date value to text using a specific format. The syntax of the Text function is as follows:

=TEXT(value,format_text)

Where value is the date value to be converted to text and format_text is the format you want the date to be displayed in.

For example, let’s say you have a date value in cell A1, and you want to convert it to text in the format “dd/mm/yyyy”. To do this, you would enter the following formula into a cell:

=TEXT(A1,"dd/mm/yyyy")

This will convert the date value in cell A1 to text in the desired format. You can also use the Text function to extract specific parts of a date, such as the day or month, using specific format codes. Here are some examples:

=TEXT(A1,"dddd")   // returns the day of the week in the full format
=TEXT(A1,"mmm")    // returns the month abbreviation
=TEXT(A1,"yyyy")   // returns the year in a four-digit format

Method 2: Using Format Cells Option

Another method to convert date values to text in Excel is by using the Format Cells feature. This method allows you to customize the cell format for a date value to display as a text value. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Select the cell or range of cells containing the date values you want to convert to text.
2. Right-click on the selected cell or range and choose Format Cells.
3. In the Format Cells dialog box, select the Number tab and then select the Text category.
4. Click OK.

This will convert the date values to text values formatted as a custom format. You can further customize the format by using the Custom category to create your own format code.

Method 3: Using Text to Columns Feature

The Text to Columns feature in Excel is useful for splitting text values into separate columns based on a specified delimiter. However, it can also be used to convert date values to text values. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Select the cell or range of cells containing the date values you want to convert to text.
2. Click on the Data tab and then choose Text to Columns.
3. In the Convert Text to Columns Wizard dialog box, select the Delimited option and then click Next.
4. In the Delimiters section, uncheck all options and then click Next.
5. In the Column data format section, select Text and then click Finish.

This will convert the date values to text values in the same cells. You can then format the text values as desired.

Method 4: Using CONCATENATE Function

The CONCATENATE function in Excel is used to join two or more text strings into one string. This function can also be used to convert date values to text values:

1. Select the cell or range of cells containing the date values you want to convert to text.
2. In a blank cell, enter the following formula:

=CONCATENATE(DAY(A1),"/",MONTH(A1),"/",YEAR(A1))

This will combine the day, month, and year of the date value in cell A1 into a text string in the format “dd/mm/yyyy”. You can further customize the format by changing the separator characters or the order of the day, month, and year.

Method 5: Using VBA Code

If you need to convert date values to text values frequently, you can create a VBA macro to automate the process. Here’s an example code that converts the date value in cell A1 to text in the format “dd/mm/yyyy”:

Sub ConvertDateToText()
    Range("A1").NumberFormat = "dd/mm/yyyy"
    Range("A1").Value = Range("A1").Text
End Sub

To use this code, you need to open the Visual Basic Editor in Excel by pressing Alt + F11, and then insert a new module and paste the code into it. You can then assign a shortcut key or a button to the macro to run it quickly.

Conclusion

Converting date values to text values is a common task in Excel, and there are several methods to accomplish this. You can use the Text function or the Format Cells feature to format cells as text, the Text to Columns feature to split date values into text values, the CONCATENATE function to combine date parts into text strings, or VBA code to automate the process. By using these methods, you can convert date values to text values in Excel in a few simple steps.