Hi All,

This might seem bit silly, but I am not able to get diff between dates.
Code is-

  
-SET &START_DATE = '2008/05/01';
-SET &END_DATE = '2008/07/31';
-SET &DATED = DATEDIF(&END_DATE, &START_DATE, 'D');
-TYPE &DATED

I get error-
(FOC36355) INVALID TYPE OF ARGUMENT #2 FOR USER FUNCTION DATEDIF

Please help.

Thanks!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kerry,

My copy of (Almost ) 1001 Ways to Work with DATES in WebFOCUS contains the following passage about DATEDIF ..."It does not curently work with Dialogue Manager variables." p 289.
And I highly recommend the book.
Here is a definitive discussion.
edit to add URL

This message has been edited. Last edited by: jimster06,

You can use DATEDIF in dialog manager -SET, with amper vars as the date arguments, provided you apply .QUOTEDSTRING to them:

Code:

-SET &DT1='2008/05/01';
-SET &DT2='2008/07/31';
-SET &DT3=DATEDIF( &DT1.QUOTEDSTRING, &DT2.QUOTEDSTRING, 'D');
-SET &DT4=DATEDIF( &DT1.QUOTEDSTRING, &DT2.QUOTEDSTRING, 'WD');
-SET &DT5=DATEDIF( &DT1.QUOTEDSTRING, &DT2.QUOTEDSTRING, 'M');

-? &DT

Result:

 CURRENTLY DEFINED & VARIABLES STARTING WITH 'DT':
 &DT1          = 2008/05/01
 &DT2          = 2008/07/31
 &DT3          = 91
 &DT4          = 65
 &DT5          = 2

You can also use AYMD if you take out the slashes.

Jack,

You seriously have a secret horde of great WebFOCUS tips that are stored outside the box!

I bet this is not documented anywhere - QUOTEDSTRING is only discussed for embedded single-quotes.

Thanks for the tip.

quote:

QUOTEDSTRING is only discussed for embedded single-quotes

Which is why you could also code it like:

-SET &DT1='2008/05/01';
-SET &DT2='2008/07/31';
-SET &DT3=DATEDIF( '&DT1.EVAL', '&DT2.EVAL', 'D');
-SET &DT4=DATEDIF( '&DT1.EVAL', '&DT2.EVAL', 'WD');
-SET &DT5=DATEDIF( '&DT1.EVAL', '&DT2.EVAL', 'M');
-? &DT

This will produce the same results.

Interesting Jack. I'll have to try that one. Another way to get this to work is to use the DATECVT function first (like DATECVT(&YYMD,'I8YYMD','YYMD') and then use DATEDIF on those converted dates. Works for DATEADD as well which also "cannot be used with Dialogue Manager."

-SET &AUTO_DATE=DATECVT(DATEADD(DATECVT(&YYMD,'I8YYMD','YYMD'), 'D', -7),'YYMD','A8YYMD');

I've always used the DATECVT method, but this is so much more elegant:

-SET &DT6A = DATEADD(&YYMD.QUOTEDSTRING, 'D', -7);

And, as GamP points out,

-SET &DT6B = DATEADD('&YYMD.EVAL', 'D', -7);

works as well. Why didn't I think of that? No need for the DATECVT function in DM any more.

FM --

Not so fast. (Try those with +61 instead of -7 )

The input is required to represent a "smart" date (accepted in either offset integer form or formatted date form), and the output is an offset integer. &YYMD, even with the quotes, is interpreted as an offset of +yy,yym,mdd.

Bottom line -- use a formatted value (&DATEYYMD rather than &YYMD), and apply DATECVT to the result to obtains a displayable date.

Yikes! Just found this update after seeing Tony's posting about DATEMOV, I'll be sticking with the DATECVT option, thank you.