three options: 1. if you want the data stored as a date, then select the column, click into the Format menu and select the format you want. 2. if you want the data stored as a string, then when you insert the data, add a leading apostrophe in front, e.g. '1/16 -- this is a standard spreadsheet feature for storing numbers as strings, dating from the 1980s. 3. store the data as-is, but add a new column, and in that new column, use a spreadsheet formula to format the data as you want-- in one variation, reduce the visual size (or hide) the original column.
hope this helps, adam On Wednesday, January 16, 2013 12:39:18 PM UTC-8, Sue Etter wrote: > > I've very new at this so I hope I'm asking the right question in the right > place. I've created a little program really a form that fills in fields on > a Google Spreadsheet. The problem I have is that if I fill in a date with > just a month and year (1/16) the data on the spreadsheet automatically > becomes 1/16/2013. I know I can go into the spreadsheet and format the > column to show just M/Y but that does not fix the issue. I would like to > find some way to code the form so the column is formatted already and all > entries will read just as they are typed and not be changed automatically > into a full date. Some people my type the full year or just the month and > day - can I have the column post EXACTLY as the form is filled out? I have > already coded it as .Text. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. > > Thank you in advance. > Sue >
