DOES THE DAYS360 FUNCTION WORK?

[Guest]

UPGRADEED TO EXCEL 2003

Nomatter what I've tryed, the Days360 function gives me a ridiculus answer.
for example,
DAYS360(1/30/2003,1/30/2004)
returns a zero, (i.e. 0), and no error message or other indication of any
problem.
Crazy, I say.
After two hours of study, I think that Excel 2003 either can't handle this
function, or
provides incorrect instructions.
(PS, I used to use this function with older versions of Excel.

Any help will be appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
James

 

[Peo Sjoblom]

Try

=DAYS360("1/30/2003","1/30/2004")

--
Regards,

Peo Sjoblom

(No private emails please, for everyone's
benefit keep the discussion in the newsgroup/forum)

 

[Norman Jones]

Hi Exceller,

Try:

DAYS360("1/30/2003","1/30/2004")

 

[Chip Pearson]

The problem is that Excel is treating 1/30/2003 and 1/30/2004 as
arithmetic expressions, not dates. In other words, 1/30/2003 is
interpreted as 1 divided by 30 divided by 2003, which is pretty
close to zero, as is the second expression. The DAYS360 then
determines the number of days between these near-zero values, and
correctly returns 0 as a result. Try

=DAYS360("1/30/2003","1/30/2004")

to force Excel to treat the values as dates.

--
Cordially,
Chip Pearson
Microsoft MVP - Excel
Pearson Software Consulting, LLC
www.cpearson.com

 

[Hari]

Hi Chip,

How is it that excel treats "1/30/2003 and 1/30/2004 as arithmetic
expressions" when there is no "=" (equal to) sign for indicating formula
evaluation/calculation?

Regards,
Hari
India

 

[Dave Peterson]

=days360() expects dates, so it'll do its best to help you.

I think that this is prettier <vbg>:

=DAYS360(DATE(2003,1,30),DATE(2004,1,30))

And it leaves no doubt what the dates are (mdy or dmy or...).

 

[Myrna Larson]

You can't embed equal signs within a formula. There's one at the start, but
none internally. In this case the equal sign precedes the function name,
=DAYS360. You can always do arithmetic within a formula, i.e.

=A1+B1^2/3

Note the function involves exponentiation and division.

 

[Gord Dibben]

Hari

If Tools>Options>Transition Sheet Options are checked for Lotus defaults,
1/30/2004 is an arithmetic expression.

Does not require the = sign.

Gord Dibben Excel MVP

 

[Chip Pearson]

An equals sign occurs only at the beginning of a formula, not
each time a arithmetic calculation is made.


--
Cordially,
Chip Pearson
Microsoft MVP - Excel
Pearson Software Consulting, LLC
www.cpearson.com

 

[Hari]

Hi Chip,

Thnx for that "on the mark" answer. Got me in to the right perspective.

Regards,
Hari
India