This tutorial shows how to work with Excel dates in Advanced ETL Processor. Use it when Excel stores dates as serial numbers, text, or a mixture of both, which is very Excel of it.
What You Will Learn
- Recognise common Excel date storage problems.
- Convert Excel date values into usable ETL dates.
- Apply date formatting before loading or exporting data.
- Avoid ambiguous date formats in automated workflows.
Before You Start
Use a test repository or safe sample data while following the tutorial. Production jobs are a poor place to experiment.
Excel Date Conversion Docs
Excel dates are often stored as numbers, text, or regional date strings. In practice, check the source format before loading the data. A value like 03/04/2026 is not a date format. It is an argument waiting to happen.
For supporting material, see the article on converting Excel dates, the wiki page for date formats, and the date transformation functions.
Need Advanced ETL Processor First?
Download the Advanced ETL Processor trial before following the tutorial, or review Enterprise if you need scheduled unattended execution.