Keep Date/Time Format From Reverting to Numbers or Text

Grapher can read dates and times in data files, but some file formats do not support date and time formatting in worksheets. If your graph appears empty, or if your date/time format changes to text when you reopen the file, your data file format may not support date/time data in a worksheet. The BLN format is one of these formats.

If your data is saved to a BLN file, follow these steps to save your file and preserve your date/time formatting.

1. Click the File | Open command in Grapher.
2. Select the file and click Open.
3. Highlight the column that should be date/time format.
4. Click the Data Tools | Data | Text to Number command to convert any text to numbers.
5. Click the Data Tools | Format | Format Cells command.
6. In the dialog, select Date/Time and set the Date/Time format. Click OK.
7. Click the File | Save As command.
8. Change the Save as type to DAT Data (*.dat), XLS Excel Spreadsheet (*.xls), or XLSX Excel 2007 Spreadsheet (*.xlsx). Type a new File name and click Save.

The data will now be saved in a format that supports date/time format in the worksheet. You can point to this new file by clicking your plot in the Object Manager, then remapping your worksheet in the Plot tab of the Property Manager.

Updated May 2023