Question: I have various formats of dates, in strings, all in ColumnA. Here is a small example.

```
-rw-r--r--   35 30067    10224     <-- 2018-09
-rw-r--r--   36 30067    10224     <-- 2018-09
-rw-r--r--   65 30067    10224     <-- 2018-10-24

```

Is there a way I can interpret any date from any given string?

Answer: 
Try

```
Sub test()
    Dim rngDB As Range
    Dim vDB As Variant, vR() As Variant
    Dim vS As Variant
    Dim i As Long, j As Integer, c As Integer
    Dim s As String

    Set rngDB = Range("a1", Range("a" & Rows.Count).End(xlUp))
    vDB = rngDB

    r = UBound(vDB, 1)
    ReDim vR(1 To r, 1 To 1)

    For i = 1 To r
        s = vDB(i, 1)
        vS = Split(s, ".")
        If IsNumeric(vS(1)) Then
            s = vS(1)
            s = Right(s, 6)
            s = Left(s, 2) & " " & Mid(s, 3, 2) & " " & Right(s, 2)
            vR(i, 1) = DateValue(s)
        Else
            s = vS(0)
            s = Right(s, 6)
            If IsNumeric(s) Then
                s = Left(s, 2) & " " & Mid(s, 3, 2) & " " & Right(s, 2)
                vR(i, 1) = DateValue(s)
            Else
                s = Right(s, 4)
                If IsNumeric(s) Then
                    s = Left(s, 2) & " " & Mid(s, 3, 2) & " " & 1
                    vR(i, 1) = DateValue(s)
                Else
                    s = vS(0)
                    s = Right(s, 7)
                    s = Left(s, 2) & " " & Mid(s, 3, 3) & " " & Right(s, 2)
                    vR(i, 1) = DateValue(s)
                End If
            End If
        End If
    Next i
    Range("b1").Resize(r) = vR

End Sub

```
Without any fixed pattern it will be complicated.
The better way in your case on a logical way would by to associate date pattern to files like 

* 1 => \*.BUS -> YYMM
* 2 => \*.IDE -> YYMMDD
* 3 => TTN\* -> YYYYMMDD

And on the same logic get a mapping table with position of date string in the file name

* 1 => Last 4 characters of file name
* 2 => Last 6 characters of file name
* 3 => Extension

In a macro function or a SWITCH function.