Importing datetime columns from Excel into SPSS

I have been working with SPSS and Excel import the latest days. The following Python script written in SPSS will import your Excel datetime columns properly.

* Encoding: UTF-8.
begin program.
import spss
print "Variable count: " + str(spss.GetVariableCount())
previousVar=""
for ind in range(spss.GetVariableCount()): #Loop through variable indices
    if (ind < 0): 
     previousVar = spss.GetVariableName(ind-1) #get variable name of previous column
    varNam = spss.GetVariableName(ind) #Look up each variable name
    
    recognizedDateColumns = ('date', 'lastupdate')
    if any(s in varNam.lower() for s in recognizedDateColumns): 
     print "Variable contains Dato: " + varNam
     adjustedVariable = varNam + "_Justert"
     spss.Submit("COMPUTE " + adjustedVariable + " = DATE.MDY(1,1,1900) +( (" + varNam  + " - 2) * 24 * 60 * 60).")
     spss.Submit("FORMATS " + adjustedVariable + "(DATETIME22).")
     spss.Submit("RENAME VARIABLES (" + varNam + "=" + adjustedVariable + ") (" + adjustedVariable + "= " + varNam + ").")
     spss.Submit("ADD FILES FILE = * /KEEP=PasientGUID to " + previousVar + " " + varNam + " ALL.")
     spss.Submit("EXECUTE.")
     spss.Submit("DELETE VARIABLES " + adjustedVariable + ".")
     spss.Submit("EXECUTE.")   
end program.

Note that in my example I use the convention that a date column in my dataset contains 'date' or 'lastupdate'.

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