DATEVALUE

Converts a date in the form of text to a serial number.

getActiveSheet(); // Add some data $testDates = ['26 March 2012', '29 Feb 2012', 'April 1, 2012', '25/12/2012', '2012-Oct-31', '5th November', 'January 1st', 'April 2012', '17-03', '03-2012', '29 Feb 2011', '03-05-07', '03-MAY-07', '03-13-07', ]; $testDateCount = count($testDates); for ($row = 1; $row <= $testDateCount; ++$row) { $worksheet->setCellValue('A' . $row, $testDates[$row - 1]); $worksheet->setCellValue('B' . $row, '=DATEVALUE(A' . $row . ')'); $worksheet->setCellValue('C' . $row, '=B' . $row); } $worksheet->getStyle('C1:C' . $testDateCount) ->getNumberFormat() ->setFormatCode('yyyy-mmm-dd'); echo '

'; // Test the formulae ?>

Warning: The PHPExcel DATEVALUE() function accepts a wider range of date formats than MS Excel's DATEFORMAT() function.

'; echo ''; echo ''; echo ''; echo ''; echo ''; } ?>

Date String	Formula	Excel DateStamp	Formatted DateStamp
' , $worksheet->getCell('A' . $row)->getFormattedValue() , '	' , $worksheet->getCell('B' . $row)->getValue() , '	' , $worksheet->getCell('B' . $row)->getFormattedValue() , '	' , $worksheet->getCell('C' . $row)->getFormattedValue() , '