datepattern(
datepattern(
DATE
,
PATTERN
)

The datepattern( function converts a number representing a date into text. The function uses a pattern to control how the date is formatted (see Date Patterns).

Parameters

This function has two parameters:

date – is the number you want to convert to text. This number is treated as the number of days since January 1, 4713 B.C.

pattern – is text that contains a pattern for formatting the date (see Date Patterns).

Description

This function converts a number representing a date into text. The function uses a pattern to control how the date is formatted (see Date Patterns).

    datepattern(today(),"mm/dd/yy") ☞ 8/9/12
    datepattern(today(),"MM/DD/YY") ☞ 08/09/12
    datepattern(today(),"mm/dd/yyyy") ☞ 8/9/2012
    datepattern(today(),"Month ddnth, yyyy") ☞ August 9th, 2012
    datepattern(today(),"dd-MON-yy") ☞ 9-AUG-12
    datepattern(today(),{DayOfWeek, Month ddnth, yyyy}) ☞ Thursday, August 9th, 2012
    datepattern(today(),{Qtr "Quarter" yyyy}) ☞ 3rd Quarter 2012
    datepattern(today(),"YYYYMMDD") ☞ 20120809

You can even use datepattern( to change an existing date pattern into something else.

    thedate="7/4/1776"
    message datepattern(date(thedate),"DayOfWeek, Month ddnth, yyyy")
        ☞ "Thursday, July 4th, 1776"

See Also

- calendardate( -- helps in creating monthly calendars.
- calendarday( -- helps in creating monthly calendars.
- Date Patterns -- control how dates are displayed or converted to text.
- date( -- converts text into a number representing a date.
- datevalue( -- converts integer values for year, month and day into a number representing a date.
- dayofweek( -- computes the day of the week, with Sunday being 0, Monday 1, etc.
- dayvalue( -- extracts the day from a date as a numeric value.
- firstdayofweek( -- returns the user's preference for first day of the week.
- groupdatepattern( -- converts a number representing a date into text in a special format for use with the summarytable( and crosstab( functions. The function uses a pattern to control how the date is formatted (see Date Patterns).
- month1st( -- computes the first day of a month.
- monthlength( -- computes the length (number of days) of a month.
- monthmath( -- takes a date and computes the date that is one or more months before or after the original date.
- monthvalue( -- extracts the month from a date as a numeric value.
- naturaldate( -- converts a number representing a date into text using "natural" formatting.
- quarter1st( -- computes the first day of a quarter.
- quartervalue( -- extracts the quarter from a date as a numeric value.
- regulardate( -- extracts a regular date (number of days from January 1, 4713 B.C.) from a superdate.
- superdate( -- converts a regular date and a regular time into a superdate.
- superdatepattern( -- converts a number containing a superdate to text, allowing you to specify the patterns for both the date and the time conversion to text.
- superdatesecondsstr( -- converts a number containing a superdate to text, including the seconds.
- superdatestr( -- converts a number containing a superdate (date + time) to text.
- supernow( -- returns the number representing the current date and time as a superdate.
- today( -- returns a number corresponding to today's date.
- week1st( -- computes the first day of a week (Sunday).
- weekvalue( -- extracts the week from a date as a numeric value.
- year1st( -- computes the first day of a year.
- yearvalue( -- extracts the year from a date as a numeric value.

History

Version | Status | Notes
10.0 | No Change | Carried over from Panorama 6.0