I am uploading an Excel file through PHP Excel. The column C has dates in format mm/dd/yyy. 

When I echo the date for example '10/3/2016' it reads it as 42646. The format set for the column is short Date.

How can I read it as the normal date instead of 42646. 

here is the model

```
function fi_upload($file_name){
$file = './uploads/'.$file_name;
$this->load->library('excel');
$objPHPExcel = PHPExcel_IOFactory::load($file);
$cell_collection = $objPHPExcel->getActiveSheet()->getCellCollection();
foreach ($cell_collection as $cell) {
    $column = $objPHPExcel->getActiveSheet()->getCell($cell)->getColumn();
    $row = $objPHPExcel->getActiveSheet()->getCell($cell)->getRow();
    $data_value = $objPHPExcel->getActiveSheet()->getCell($cell)->getValue();

    if ($row == 1) {
        $header[$row][$column] = $data_value;
    } else {
        $arr_data[$row][$column] = $data_value;
    }
}
$data['header'] = $header;
$data['values'] = $arr_data;
$datecell = $objPHPExcel->getActiveSheet()->getCell('P2');
if(PHPExcel_Shared_Date::isDateTime($datecell)) {
     $InvDate = date($format="Y-m-d", PHPExcel_Shared_Date::ExcelToPHP($datecell)); 
}
echo $InvDate;
exit();

foreach ($arr_data as $q){
echo $q['C']; // column of date, date is echoed as 42646
exit(); //here i exit to display the date
}

```

I have to later insert it in the database as well in the yyyy/mm/dd format (which I can do if it is read properly)

Thanks.

UPDATE:

So apparently it was an Excel file issue, not php. Converting the cell values through TEXT() was the solution as suggested by @Hallur.

UPDATE 2.0:
I am trying to do it via PHPEXCEL method but I get the following two issues.

1. : Object of class PHPExcel\_Cell could not be converted to int
2. Echoes date as 2036-02-07 where as the date in cell is 10/4/2016