DATEDIF Function

Today I will discuss about DATEDIF function which is very helpful function when dealing with Dates. In next article we will use DATEDIF function to get the actual age on a given date as well as on current date. Therefore, this function is very important function.

DATEDIF function returns the difference between two date values, based on the interval specified.

Please note, DATEDIF function is not like other functions, Excel will not help opening function argument box to be filled with data but if you provide all the data in correct order, it will help you a lot in future.

Let us first go through the syntax of this function.

The DATEDIF function is categorized as a Date/Time Function.

Syntax

The syntax for the DATEDIF function in Microsoft Excel is as below,

=DATEDIF( start_date, end_date, interval )

*** End date must be greater than Start date

Parameters or Arguments

start_date and end_date

The two dates to calculate the difference between.

interval

The interval of time is used to calculate the difference between two dates. Below is a list of valid interval values.

How to use DAYDIF Function

Returns

The DATEDIF function returns a numeric value.

Example :

DATEDIF is very simple function, you need to put the proper arguments within this function and the result will be displayed.

I have given below few examples, please go through it.

How to use DAYDIF Function

Limitations :

1.   Microsoft Excel will not help you fill in the DATEDIF function like other functions using argument window.

2.   Microsoft recommends not using the "MD" value for unit because it "may result in a negative number, a zero, or an inaccurate result" But there are ways to overcome these errors which I will discuss in next article.

If you still have some questions, feel free to ask in the comment box.

I hope you have enjoyed this small article. Take care…

Thank you for reading….