Input date column as string upon import

[ELPC]

Is there a way to force Alteryx to keep a column that contains dates as a String data type instead of it automatically loading it as a Date data type?  I don't want to have to convert it back to the date format it was in the Excel file.  Thanks.  

[binuacs]

@ELPC One option is to convert your input file as .csv file, in that case, all the fields will be imported to Alteryx as string data type

[ELPC]

Thanks for the suggestion but I don't think my business users would want to perform that extra step of having to save it as a CSV.  

[Qiu]

@ELPC 
@binuacs idea is good I think.
Or you can manuall change the data format in Excel to Text so that it will brought in as String.

[ELPC]

Thanks for the suggestion but I do not want to have a manual manipulation step in the file from the business user before the file is consumed.  It just opens it up for risk that someone forgets to adjust something before the workflow is run.  

I can't believe that there isn't a tool to tell Alteryx what data type I want the system to read each field in as.  I didn't think it would be this hard.  

[SPetrie]

I agree there should be an option to specify datatype on import, may be a good suggestion to submit. 

Does your file contain column headers? Another workaround would be to tell alterxy that the first row contains data instead of column headers. That will force everything with a header in the first row to string as well. A dynamic rename to get the headers back and then a select tool to adjust the other columns.

[binuacs]

@ELPC Another option is to use the Multi-Field formula tool and select all the fields to string like below. Select the Dynamic or Unknow Fields selected