Reformatting date in google spreadsheet - datetime

Question

I'm setting up a spreadsheet for someone else with a form to enter data.
One of the columns is supposed to hold a date. The input date format is like this example: "Jan 26, 2013" (there will be a lot of copy & paste involved to collect data, so changing the format at input step is not a real option).
I need this date column to be sortable, but the spreadsheet doesn't recognize this as a date but simply as a string. (It would recognize "Jan-26-2013", I've tried.)
So I need to reformat the input date.
My question is: how can I do this? I have looked around and google apps script looks like the way to go (though I haven't found a good example of reformatting yet).
Unfortunately my only programming experience is in Python, and of intermediate level. I could do this in Python without a problem, but I don't know any JavaScript.
(My Python approach would be:
splitted = date.split()
newdate = "-".join([splitted[0], splitted[1][:-1], splitted[2]])
return newdate
)
I also don't know how I'd go about linking the script to the spreadsheet - would I attach it to the cell, or the form, or where? And how? Any link to a helpful, understandable tutorial etc. on this point would help greatly.
Any help greatly appreciated!
Edit: Here's the code I ended up with:
//Function to filter unwanted " chars from date entries
function reformatDate() {
var sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSheet();
var startrow = 2;
var firstcolumn = 6;
var columnspan = 1;
var lastrow = sheet.getLastRow();
var dates = sheet.getRange(startrow, firstcolumn, lastrow, columnspan).getValues();
newdates = []
for(var i in dates){
var mydate = dates[i][0];
try
{
var newdate = mydate.replace(/"/g,'');
}
catch(err)
{
var newdate = mydate
}
newdates.push([newdate]);
}
sheet.getRange(startrow, firstcolumn, lastrow, columnspan).setValues(newdates)
}
For other confused google-script Newbies like me:
attaching the script to the spreadsheet works by creating the script from within the spreadsheet (Tools => Script Editor). Just putting the function in there is enough, you don't seem to need a function call etc.
you select the trigger of the script from the Script Editor (Resources => This Project's Triggers).
Important: the script will only work if there's an empty row at the bottom of the sheet in question!

Answer 1

Just an idea :
If you double click on your date string in the spreadsheet you will see that its real value that makes it a string instead of a date object is this 'Jan 26, 2013 with the ' in front of the string that I didn't add here...(The form does that to allow you to type what you want in the text area, including +322475... for example if it is a phone number, that's a known trick in spreadsheets cells) You could simply make a script that runs on form submit and that removes the ' in the cells, I guess the spreadsheet would do the rest... (I didn't test that so give it a try and consider this as a suggestion).
To remove the ' you can simply use the .replace() method **
var newValue = value.replace(/'/g,'');
here are some links to the relevant documentation : link1 link2
EDIT following your comment :
It could be simpler since the replace doesn't generate an error if no match is found. So you could make it like this :
function reformatDate() {
var sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSheet();
var dates = sheet.getRange(2, 6, sheet.getLastRow(), 1).getValues();
newdates = []
for(var i in dates){
var mydate = dates[i][0];
var newdate = mydate.replace(/"/g,'');
newdates.push([newdate]);
}
sheet.getRange(2, 6, sheet.getLastRow(), 1).setValues(newdates)
}
Also, you used the " in your code, presumably on purpose... my test showed ' instead. What made you make this choice ?

Answer 2

Solved it, I just had to change the comma to dot and it worked