Calculate number of days

[Linda P.]

I am using Excel 2000.
I need help with a formula. In A1 I have # of years, in A2 I have # of
months and in A3 I have # of days. In A4 I want to add A1 through A3 and
show the total as number of days. Thanks for your help.

 

[Rick Rothstein]

That can't be done... the number of days in the month depends on the start
date for the calculation. For example, two months starting January 1st has a
different number of days in it than two months starting on March 1st.

 

[Teethless mama]

=EDATE(1,A2+A1*12)+A3

 

[Joe User]

=EDATE(1,A2+A1*12)+A3

Shouldn't there be a -1 at the end? Consider when years (A2) and months
(A1) are zero, and days (A3) is 1. I think the result should be 1, not 2.

However, I think it behooves you to point out that that measures time from
1/1/1900. Why not some other date, notably a date before Feb 29 in a leap
year? Whose to say any other result is wrong? (Rhetorical question.)

I think it would be better to suggest that Linda pick a starting date, and
to note that the result may be different for different starting dates. Then,
using your clever paradigm (if A4 is the starting date):

=EDATE(A4,A2+12*A1)+A3-A4

We should add the caveat that it would be prudent for A4 (the starting date)
to be some day of the month less than 29.

So, =TODAY() is a dubious choice. A reasonable choice might be
=TODAY()-DAY(TODAY())+1, which is the first of the current month.

But of course, if Linda has little control over the starting date (e.g. a
hire date) that might be the 29th through 31st of the month, she needs to be
aware that EDATE might map that into the end of the month that is
A2+12*A1+MONTH(A4) months from A4, which might be short by as many as 3 days.

I suspect that would be the "right" answer for the application in that case.
But she might want to give that some thought to be sure.


----- original message -----

 

[Teethless mama]

Shouldn't there be a -1 at the end? Consider when years (A2) and months

(A1) are zero, and days (A3) is 1. I think the result should be 1, not 2.

You are absolutely right, it should be -1 at the end.
Since the OP didn't provide the start date, so I use the Excel base date for
the start date.

=EDATE(Start_Date,A2+A1*12)+A3-Start_Date

 

[Mike H]

Rick,

Is one of the years a leap year? Another reason why this is impossible.
--
Mike

When competing hypotheses are otherwise equal, adopt the hypothesis that
introduces the fewest assumptions while still sufficiently answering the
question.

 

[Linda P.]

Thank you Teethless Mama and David Biddulph! Either formula will work for me.