In Excel I can create a formula: =TEXT("12:13:14","hh:mm:ss") This evaluates to the time 12:13:14 The limitation is imposed by org.apache.poi.ss.formula.functions.TextFunction#TEXT which assumes the 1st argument is a double (immediately).
http://poi.apache.org/apidocs/org/apache/poi/ss/formula/functions/TextFunction.html#TEXT
Any chance you could work up a patch to improve this? I guess you'll need to extend the function to check for alternate types of argument, and parse them to a double appropriately before formatting.
I shall attempt to do so. But it will not be immediately.
Changing status on this one for now as "not immediately" seems to have become at some later pointer.