What is the DATEDIF Function? Excel Function to Calculate Date Intervals
When working with dates in Excel, you might find yourself in a situation where you need to calculate the difference between two dates in terms of years, months, or days. Excel provides a special function called DATEDIF that is specifically designed to calculate date intervals.
The DATEDIF function is used to:
- Calculate the number of days between two dates
- Calculate the number of months between two dates
- Calculate the number of years between two dates
- Calculate the number of months excluding the years
- Calculate the number of days excluding the years and months
How to use the DATEDIF function:
The syntax of the DATEDIF function is:
=DATEDIF(start_date, end_date, unit)
Note: The start_date and end_date arguments must be valid dates in Excel serial number format or be referenced to cells containing valid dates.
The unit argument is a code that specifies the type of interval to calculate. Here are the possible codes:
- “d” – returns the number of days
- “m” – returns the number of complete months
- “y” – returns the number of complete years
- “ym” – returns the number of months excluding the years
- “yd” – returns the number of days excluding the years and months
Example of using the DATEDIF function:
Let’s say we have two dates:
Start Date: 01/01/2020
End Date: 12/31/2020
To calculate the number of complete months between these two dates, we can use the following formula:
=DATEDIF(A2, B2, “m”)
The result will be 11, indicating that there are 11 complete months between the start date and the end date.
Important points to note:
- The DATEDIF function is a hidden function in Excel, but it can still be used.
- The results of the DATEDIF function may not be 100% accurate in all cases, especially when calculating the number of complete months or years, due to the complexities of calendar systems. Therefore, it is recommended to use the function with caution.
Overall, the DATEDIF function in Excel is a useful tool for calculating date intervals and can be applied in a variety of scenarios. Whether you need to determine the age of a person, track the number of months between two milestones, or calculate the duration of a project, the DATEDIF function can simplify your calculations and provide you with accurate results.
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