Converting a String of Numbers to Date in a function
Hi there,
I have a field in my Access database that is type text, and I need to convert it to type date programatically within the function as I have 17,000 fields and changing each field individually is not an option.
The text in the database looks like 12312003, and I would like to change it on the webpage to date type 12/31/2003
My function looks like this (var1 is the string to convert):
Function CHECKLMPDATE(var1 as object) as String
Return (format(var1, "MM/DD/YY")).ToString
End Function
The code above gives me errors. What is the correct syntax??
Kittrick
I have a field in my Access database that is type text, and I need to convert it to type date programatically within the function as I have 17,000 fields and changing each field individually is not an option.
The text in the database looks like 12312003, and I would like to change it on the webpage to date type 12/31/2003
My function looks like this (var1 is the string to convert):
Function CHECKLMPDATE(var1 as object) as String
Return (format(var1, "MM/DD/YY")).ToString
End Function
The code above gives me errors. What is the correct syntax??
Kittrick
Try this...
Function CHECKLMPDATE(var1 as String) as String
If (var1 & DbNull.Value) <> "" Then
var1 = Ctype(var1, Date).ToShortDateString()
Return var1
Else
Return ""
End If
End Function
Function CHECKLMPDATE(var1 as String) as String
If (var1 & DbNull.Value) <> "" Then
var1 = Ctype(var1, Date).ToShortDateString()
Return var1
Else
Return ""
End If
End Function
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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Make sure to check for NULL.. as I showed.
Dim mnth as string
Dim dy as string
Dim yr as string
Dim dob as string
mnth = Mid(dob, 0, 2)
dy = Mid(dob, 2, 2)
yr = Mid(dob, 4, 4)
dob = dy & "/" & mnth & "/" & yr
mdob = CDate(dob) <---Convert to Date
Dim dy as string
Dim yr as string
Dim dob as string
mnth = Mid(dob, 0, 2)
dy = Mid(dob, 2, 2)
yr = Mid(dob, 4, 4)
dob = dy & "/" & mnth & "/" & yr
mdob = CDate(dob) <---Convert to Date
ASKER
Ok DotNetLover_Baan,
Your code works but I still have an error. When the people in our office input data, it's done in the order mm/dd/yyyy, but as you know from the example it's done in a text field. When looking at incomplete documentation, sometimes it is missing the day or the month. If it is, they will enter 99 in iplace of the missing data.
For instance, if we know the month, but not the day, we will enter 12992004 which would convert to 12/99/2004, but the error is coming up because it's not a real date.
How could I get it to output the number 99 (instead of the date) if either the month or the date is the number 99??
Kittrick
Your code works but I still have an error. When the people in our office input data, it's done in the order mm/dd/yyyy, but as you know from the example it's done in a text field. When looking at incomplete documentation, sometimes it is missing the day or the month. If it is, they will enter 99 in iplace of the missing data.
For instance, if we know the month, but not the day, we will enter 12992004 which would convert to 12/99/2004, but the error is coming up because it's not a real date.
How could I get it to output the number 99 (instead of the date) if either the month or the date is the number 99??
Kittrick
Function CHECKLMPDATE(var1 as object) as String
Return String.Concat(var1.Substri
End Function
Return String.Concat(var1.Substri
End Function
That would be an invalid Date Type....unless you convert it to a STRING and not a DateType...
You could do...
Dim mnth as string
Dim dy as string
Dim yr as string
Dim dob as string = "12992004"
mnth = Mid(dob, 0, 2)
dy = Mid(dob, 2, 2)
yr = Mid(dob, 4, 4)
dob = mnth & "/" & dy & "/" & yr
You could do...
Dim mnth as string
Dim dy as string
Dim yr as string
Dim dob as string = "12992004"
mnth = Mid(dob, 0, 2)
dy = Mid(dob, 2, 2)
yr = Mid(dob, 4, 4)
dob = mnth & "/" & dy & "/" & yr
You can not show 99 or 9999 in a date variable. How are you planning to show it on the web page, if 99 or 9999 comes ?
The only way out I see, is to change the data type from DATE to STRING in the webpage, and since in the database this field is STRING, you don't even have to change it to Date format.
Just use:
Function CHECKLMPDATE(var1 as String) as String
If (var1 & DbNull.Value) <> "" Then
var1 = var1.Substring(0, 2) & "/" & var1.Substring(2, 2) & "/" & var1.Substring(4)
Return var1
Else
Return ""
End If
*** In this case you HAVE to keep that field as STRING in the page.
The only way out I see, is to change the data type from DATE to STRING in the webpage, and since in the database this field is STRING, you don't even have to change it to Date format.
Just use:
Function CHECKLMPDATE(var1 as String) as String
If (var1 & DbNull.Value) <> "" Then
var1 = var1.Substring(0, 2) & "/" & var1.Substring(2, 2) & "/" & var1.Substring(4)
Return var1
Else
Return ""
End If
*** In this case you HAVE to keep that field as STRING in the page.
... or, set it to 01 - which is wrong, but valid;
... or, store the individual fields separately and combine them on the fly to a text format. If a field is unknown, just leave it empty and in the output set it to "XX"
However, if you want to process dates (with sorting etc.), you could also modify the format to YYYYMMDD. If a part is unkown, set it to 99 or XX. Store them as strings. This way, you can at least sort for them without messing up the results (the MMDDYYYY format will not be sortable if stored as string).
HTH, Jan
... or, store the individual fields separately and combine them on the fly to a text format. If a field is unknown, just leave it empty and in the output set it to "XX"
However, if you want to process dates (with sorting etc.), you could also modify the format to YYYYMMDD. If a part is unkown, set it to 99 or XX. Store them as strings. This way, you can at least sort for them without messing up the results (the MMDDYYYY format will not be sortable if stored as string).
HTH, Jan
'function for converting string into date
Function convertindate(ByVal s As String) As DateTime
s = s.Chars(0) + s.Chars(1) + "/" + s.Chars(2) + s.Chars(3) + "/" + s.Chars(4) +
s.Chars(5) + s.Chars(6) + s.Chars(7)
Dim d As DateTime
d = CDate(s)
Return d
End Function
'calling of function
Dim d As DateTime
d = convertindate(12232004)
MsgBox(d)
Function convertindate(ByVal s As String) As DateTime
s = s.Chars(0) + s.Chars(1) + "/" + s.Chars(2) + s.Chars(3) + "/" + s.Chars(4) +
s.Chars(5) + s.Chars(6) + s.Chars(7)
Dim d As DateTime
d = CDate(s)
Return d
End Function
'calling of function
Dim d As DateTime
d = convertindate(12232004)
MsgBox(d)
... addition to my previous post: "MMDDYYYY format will not ne sortable" - of course you can sort using this format, but the results are not sorted by Year, Month and Day but by Month, Year and Day. Usually, you do not want this. So, it may be better to save a string in the YYYYMMDD format which sorts correctly and, if a day is unknown, will still sort correctly.
Jan
Jan
Function CHECKLMPDATE(var1 as object) as String
Return New Date(CInt(var1.Substring(4
End Function