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Thread: Change Default Date Format in OpenOffice Calc?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
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    Ubuntu 13.04 Raring Ringtail

    Change Default Date Format in OpenOffice Calc?

    When I type a date into a cell in an OpenOffice.org Calc worksheet, it is formatted as DD/MM/YY by default. I'd rather have D MMM YY (i.e., "6 Jan 2010") as the default. Would anyone know how to change the default date format?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2007
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    Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala

    Re: Change Default Date Format in OpenOffice Calc?

    I have no problem entering your date format into Calc.
    If I type 1 Jan 10 (or 1 jan 2010) it gives me a correct date back.
    Admittedly this is then initially converted to the default DD/MM/YY format but this is a display format and can be easily changed by setting the format of the cell:-
    Format -> Cells -> Numbers tab -> Date (select one from the list or enter a custom format string)

  3. #3
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    Re: Change Default Date Format in OpenOffice Calc?

    I get the same behavior: when I type in D MMM YY, it is correctly converted to DD/MM/YY. That's no problem. I just wish I could get Calc to use D MMM YY by default, so I wouldn't have to keep changing the format. Anyway to do that?

  4. #4
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    Jan 2010
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    Re: Change Default Date Format in OpenOffice Calc?

    http://openoffice.blogs.com/openoffi...ting-a-sm.html

    I had the same problem. The link above describes how to fix it. The link changes something else, but the same method will work for what you want. Just select the appropriate date format instead of checking that checkbox. I'm sure you'll figure it out.

  5. #5
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    Re: Change Default Date Format in OpenOffice Calc?

    I fail to see how this would work (perhaps I'm missing something).
    I've tried setting the default style to be Date -> D MMM YY
    All this does is that any number entered in any of the cells is automatically converted to a date.
    How is that helpful?
    If I enter, for instance, the number 1 it changes it to "31 Dec 99".

  6. #6
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    Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat

    Re: Change Default Date Format in OpenOffice Calc?

    This doesn't quite work for me. I can correct the date format to YY-MM-DD and save it as the template. But then when I open a document and type a number, it gets forced to a date format. When I set the cells to default to number format (as it should be) then type a date, the date is again defaulting to a wrong format. Is it possible to correct the "Default" date format while still using US English?

  7. #7
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    Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat

    Re: Change Default Date Format in OpenOffice Calc?

    I finally figured out how to do this and am going through and posting the solution to the threads I've been reading for help:

    1) in spreadsheet press Ctrl F11
    2) Default - Modify
    3) Date
    4) change the language until you find one that defaults to the format you like (you CANNOT specify your own format) I like Uyghur and Zulu
    5) click OK - OK
    6) File - Templates - Save
    7) File - Templates - Organize
    8 ) right click the saved template and "Set As Default Template"

    When a date is entered, it will now be recognized from the correct format and will be rendered in the correct format.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
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    Smile Re: Change Default Date Format in OpenOffice Calc?

    Thank you MathUHenry!!!

  9. #9
    Join Date
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    Re: Change Default Date Format in OpenOffice Calc?

    I now have a new problem. Having changed the default style as suggested, dates appear in the form that I like. The problem is that all numbers are by default converted to dates. For example, if I enter "123456" into a cell to which I have applied no format, it becomes "3 Jan 38".

    Is there anything I can do about this?

    Thanks....
    Last edited by Ubuntist; September 28th, 2010 at 03:15 AM.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
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    Re: Change Default Date Format in OpenOffice Calc?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ubuntist View Post
    I now have a new problem. Having changed the default style as suggested, dates appear in the form that I like. The problem is that all numbers are by default converted to dates. For example, if I enter "123456" into a cell to which I have applied no format, it becomes "3 Jan 38".

    Is there anything I can do about this?

    Thanks....

    Is there any GUI or something tested where it is possible to change format for date? Systemwide?
    editing
    /etc/default/locale
    and doing localedef -f UTF-8 -i LV_date LV_date.UTF-8
    is not the answer. it leads to errors.
    Language reinstall or changin is not the answer too - you change date format and all associated things with language changes also. This is common BUG in all versions of Ubuntu.
    And why it should be forbidden to change this small thing for regular user?

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