Parse OLE Date
Converts an Excel date serial number (OLE Automation date) into a date and time.
Excel stores dates as numbers: the number of days since 30 December 1899, with the time as the decimal part. Parse OLE Date turns such a number into a real date and time. Use it after Read Range, which returns date cells as these numbers.
Add the action
In the Process Designer toolbox, open Excel and pick Parse OLE Date (or type Parse OLE Date in the search box).
Inputs and outputs
| Field | Direction | Type | Required | What to put / what you get |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input | Input | Number or Text | Yes | The serial number, for example 45296 or 45296.5. |
| Datetime | Output | Date and time | Yes | The date and time it stands for. |
Example
| Input | Datetime |
|---|---|
45296 | 2024-01-05T00:00:00 |
45296.5 | 2024-01-05T12:00:00 |
-1 | 1899-12-29T00:00:00 |
abc | The step fails: "Could not parse float from value -> abc" |
3000000 | The step fails: "Input is not a valid OLE Automation Date" |
Good to know
The time part is not exact. The number is read with only about seven significant digits, so 45296.123456 (02:57:47) comes back as 2024-01-05T03:00:00. Rely on the date; do not rely on the minutes and seconds.
- Use a dot as the decimal separator. A comma is not read as a decimal separator:
45296,5gives the year 3140 instead of an error. - The result has no time zone: it is the date and time exactly as Excel shows them.