Mastering Datetime Conversions in Google Sheets: A Custom Function Hack

Tired of manually converting ISO 8601 datetime strings into Google Sheets’ native format? Let’s automate this tedious task with a custom function!

Understanding the Problem:

Google Sheets, while a powerful tool, lacks a direct function to convert ISO 8601 datetime strings (e.g., “2023–11–22T13:37:00Z”) into its native datetime format. This can be a major headache when working with data from APIs or other sources that use this standard format.

The Solution: A Custom Function

To streamline this process, we’ll create a custom function using Google Apps Script. This function will parse the ISO 8601 string and return a Google Sheets datetime value, saving you time and effort.

Here’s the custom function:

/**
 * A custom function to convert an ISO 8601 datetime string to a Google Sheets datetime value.
 * @param {string} isoString The ISO 8601 datetime string to convert.
 * @returns {Date} A Google Sheets datetime value.
 * @customfunction
 */
function ISOSTRTODATE(isoString) {
  return new Date(isoString);
}

How to Use It:

Create a New Script:

In your Google Sheet, go to Extensions > App Script. This will open the script editor. Paste the code into the script editor. Save the script. Use the Function in Your Sheet:

In any cell, type the following formula, replacing A2 with the cell containing the ISO 8601 string: =ISOSTRTODATE(A2)

Example:

If cell A2 contains the ISO 8601 string “2023–11–22T13:37:00Z”, the formula =ISOSTRTODATE(A2) will convert it to a Google Sheets datetime value, displaying it in your local time zone.

Additional Tips:

Formatting the Output: You can format the output cell to display the datetime in your desired format. Error Handling: Consider adding error handling to the function to gracefully handle invalid input. Batch Processing: For large datasets, explore Google Apps Script’s batch processing capabilities to optimize performance. Leverage Google Apps Script: Explore other Google Apps Script features to automate tasks, create custom menus, and more. By following these steps and using the ISOSTRTODATE function, you can automate the conversion of ISO 8601 datetime strings to Google Sheets datetime values, making your data analysis and manipulation more efficient and accurate.