Overview for Change Data Type

Use Change Data Type to change the data type (text, numeric, or date/time) of a column. Most Minitab analyses require data of specific types. For example, calculations that involve decimals require numeric data. For more information, go to Minitab data types and formats.

When you enter data into a column, the first value that you enter determines the data type. Even if you change the values in the column, the original data type remains. You can use Change Data Type to change the data type.

Minitab labels text columns with T after the column number and date/time columns with D after the column number. Numeric columns are not labeled.

For example, an engineer accidentally types a letter into the first row of a column, but then corrects the value. However, the column is still a text column. The engineer uses Change Data Type to change the data type of the column to numeric, the correct data type.