Date Fields in the Performance Center

Overview

The majority of you will use Excel to open generated CSV reports. The performance center generally
includes both the date and time in the date fields in the report. Unfortunately, Excel doesn’t recognize a
field with both date and time as a Date/Time type field. As a result, Excel displays the date in a literal
form, not the date format. For example:

As you can see, the Created On date in D2 is displayed as 15:48.0, but the real date and time for this
field is 11/21/2009 1:15:48 AM.

Modifying Date Fields

After downloading the CSV file you must convert any date fields to the correct date format before you
save the file, as either a .csv or .xlsx type file. NOTE: It is important to correct the date format before
you save the file, or excel will save the displayed value and not the original value in the csv file.

Steps to change the date format:

1. Right click on the column of dates
2. Select "Format Cells"
3. Choose a Number Category of "Custom"
4. Near the bottom you'll see the m/d/yyyy h:mm format

Additional Date/Time Field CSV/Excel Notes

• If you choose to save the file locally to your computer from your generated reports (not opening
  it), then it will save with the data information intact.
• If you choose to open the CSV (automatically from the download or manually after you have
  saved the file) and then you Save the file from inside Excel it will prompt you with a warning
  letting you know that some information may be lost. Strangely enough, after you save it, but
  before you close Excel, you can still see the true date/time values in the version you have open.
  If you close it and then reopen it, the cells now list whatever literal value Excel had designated
  for the dates that it couldn't understand in the CSV.
• If you open the CSV from the server and then save it as Excel, the date still doesn't show
  properly, but the information is there.
• From the Microsoft knowledge base:
  
  • "This file format (.csv) saves only the text and values as they are displayed in cells of the active
    worksheet. All rows and all characters in each cell are saved. Columns of data are separated by
    commas, and each row of data ends in a carriage return. If a cell contains a comma, the cell
    contents are enclosed in double quotation marks.
    If cells display formulas instead of formula values, the formulas are converted as text. All
    formatting, graphics, objects, and other worksheet contents are lost. The euro symbol will be
    converted to a question mark."

Date Field Definitions

Course Reports

• Created On
  • ILT Classes - The created on date refers to the start date of the ILT.
  • WBT Courses - The created on date refers to the date/time that the user started the
    course.
• Updated On -This field indicates when the record has been updated. Here are some specific examples:
  • ILT classes - The most common update to the ILT record for a user is when user’s
    completion is recorded when the course is completed.
  • WBT Courses - The last time the course recorded any information on the course
    record. This is often the same as the completion date for users who have finished a
    course. 
• Class Start Date - The date and time the class is scheduled to start.
• Class End Date - The date and time the class is scheduled to end.
• Completion Date - This is the date and time that the user has been marked as complete in either
  an ILT or WBT.

Certification Reports

• Acquired - The date that the user completed and received their certification or curriculum completion. 

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