converting a text field to date format...

[Batfastad]

Hello, I have a text field in my database which stores the date in the format dd/mm/yyyy

I want to convert this to date format because it should have been in date format anyway.

When I try, the standard warning pops up saying "anything after the first 255 characters will be deleted".

I just wanted confirmation that by changing the format, my data will be preserved - eg the dates are still dates, but now stored in date format.

Will my data still be ok?

It's been a while since I had to do this, and I just wanted confirmation.

[Lee Smith]

In a word "yes".

The notice is telling you if there were more than the 255 characters, you will lose the data beyond the 255 limit.

Lee

[Vaughan]

Backup the file, just in case.

[Batfastad]

So I don't need to do a TextToDate() on the field contents before changing the format in the define fields box?

I love FileMaker

[Vaughan]

That all depends on how the dates have been entered into the field, and how consistent the data entry is. I'd do some tests and find out.

I'd create another date field in the file and use the Replace function to play around with calculations, see what works and what doesn't. If it all goes pear shaped you delete the new field and everything is back where it was. When you are happy with the conversion just replace the original field with the new one, then delete the new field.

This sort of data wrangling is time consuming and expensive. It's an industry in itself. There are generally no 100% solutions, but some require less manual processing than others.

[Batfastad]

The format is all consistent dd/mm/yyyy so I should be ok - obviously I'll take an export of all that data so I can just read it back in should the worst happen.

thanks

[goanna300]

I wish I had access to the original message posted here. It seems to have changed topic...

My problem is similar. I am converting somebody's .fp3 to .fp7.

They had the dates as text files in dd/mm/yyyy format.

I need a date field in the same format. The problem is...

Somewhere the dates went American on me in the conversion process. So I'l like to convert the text mm/dd/yy to date-type dd/mm/yyyy.

I have my regional settings set to dd/mm/yyyy, field formats also. I've a few things and had enough for now, particularly since I've got the strange feeling I've been tyhrough all this before!

Steve

[RalphL]

Try making a clone of the file with the computer set to dd/mm/yyyy. This should change the file to you configuration.