does not retain user-defined date format (YYYY) in Calc

Hello,

Calc does not retain the user-defined date format YYYY.

I need to convert a date column into year for multiple spread sheets.

I recorded a macro which works great by copying the date column, pasting it in the next column and formatting it to date:YYYY.

There is no YYYY format in Calc by default, so I enter it in Format>cells… I click the green check and it shows up as 1999. All good.
Until I close Calc.

On a new instance this format is lost and the year shows up as a number string. I am able to manually change it to YYYY, or enter the Format> cells dialogue and define YYYY before running the macro, but that defeats the purpose of the macro (saving time).

I tried saving a blank cell with the format YYYY defined as a template and setting the template to default, but still the formatting is missing.

I tried saving it as a style on the template, that too did not work.

Any thoughts on why YYYY can not be retained after closing Calc?

Why can’t YYYY be a standard Calc date format?

Thanks

Setting the date with YYYY is only to view typing is a complete date dd/mm/yyy. right!

“I need to convert a date column into year…” What about function YEAR()? What about Text to Columns with Fixed width?

Cell A1= 21/10/2016

=YEAR(A1)

=2016