You can construct your own date format using a combination of text and place holders (& + a letter) for various time and date components. This format will then be available to all spreadsheets.
Note: You can only create a single custom format. If you want to update your custom format this will update it in every spreadsheet where it is used.
Note: If you send your spreadsheet to a Genstat user who has set their own custom date format on a column, that user’s custom format will be displayed (overriding yours).
- Type your format directly into the Custom date format field using the time/date components shown in the table below, then click OK twice.
For example, to create the date format ‘Wednesday January 1 2017‘, type &w &N &d &Y.
To create the time format ‘12:48:31‘ type &O:&U:&S.
Use can use spaces, colons or other characters as separators, which will all be displayed in your output. If you want an ampersand & as a placeholder you must use a double ampersand &&.
Note: If you use a 2 digit format for the year (i.e. yy rather than yyyy) to display a year outside the period 19XX – 20XX (where XX is set as a number between 0 and 99) then a full 4 digits for the year will be used automatically.
| Component | Description | Example |
| &A | AM/PM | AM |
| &a | am/pm | am |
| &C | Century as a 4 digit number | 2000 |
| &c | Century as a 2 digit number | 20 |
| &D | Day of month as 2 digits (i.e. leading 0 for day < 10) | 07 |
| &d | Day of month | 7 |
| &E | Elapsed time in seconds to 2 decimal places | 278.35 |
| &e | Elapsed time in hours to 2 decimal places | 3.45 |
| &H | Hour in the day with leading zero for hour < 10 | 06 |
| &h | Hour in the day | 6 |
| &M | Month number with leading zero for month < 10 | 08 |
| &m | Month number | 8 |
| &N | Month name in full | January |
| &n | Month name abbreviated | Jan |
| &O | Hour in the half day (12 hrs) with leading zero for hour <10 | 04 |
| 04 | Hour in the half day (12 hrs) | 4 |
| &S | Seconds in the minute as 2 digits | 03 |
| &s | Seconds in the minute | 3 |
| &T | 100ths of seconds in the second as 2 digits | 02 |
| &t | 100ths of seconds in the second | 2 |
| &U | Minutes in the hour as 2 digits | 09 |
| &u | Minutes in the hour | 9 |
| &W | Day of week as a number 1-7; e.g. 1 = Monday, 2 = Tuesday, etc | 4 |
| &w | Day of week | Sunday |
| &Y | Year with 4 digits | 2018 |
| &y | Year as 2 digits | 18 |
| && | Displays an ampersand ‘&’ | & |