Coverton BlogStandardize table dates and numbers, then check missing values
Determine what dates such as 03/04 and numbers such as 1,234 mean in the source before changing them. Guessing a convention can change a value. A missing-values report identifies gaps but does not fill them automatically.
Use the free tool →Specify the source date order
Choose the source year/month/day order before normalizing dates. Invalid values remain unchanged and are reported. If some rows use a different convention, inspect and separate them instead of applying one assumption to the whole file.
Check decimal and grouping separators
Number cleanup checks decimal and grouping separators strictly. Currency symbols can leave values unresolved. Compare totals and decimal places before and after processing, and avoid treating product codes or phone numbers as ordinary numbers.
Review blanks and split outputs
The missing-values report shows blanks and distinct-value distributions per column without inventing replacements. Splitting by value creates up to 100 groups downloadable as a ZIP. Check that each group contains all the rows you intended to keep.
Choose the right tool
Example inputs illustrate the workflow; they do not promise a particular file size, recognition accuracy or compatibility.
Split Excel by column
Distribute a table by assignee or region. Review grouping values and the number of output files.
Example
region column A/B → separate group tablesOpen the tool →Normalize dates
Normalize mixed date formatting after specifying source date order. Inspect values that could not be interpreted.
Example
known date order → normalized dates + exception reportOpen the tool →Locale numbers
Normalize numbers such as 1,234.5 and 1.234,5 by specifying decimal and grouping separators. Review currency symbols separately.
Example
1.234,5 + decimal comma → 1234.5Open the tool →Data profile
Inspect blanks and distinct-value counts by column without automatically filling missing data.
Example
table → per-column blank/distinct-value reportOpen the tool →This guide describes the public web tools and their support limits. Keep your original and check the downloaded result. Coverton · Corrections and contact