---
title: "Date Functions"
url: "https://helpcentre.esayworkmobile.co.uk/en/article/date-functions"
language: "en"
last_updated: "2025-06-12T13:25:22.376Z"
---

# Date Functions

The following section describes the list of functions available for working with dates along with the associated syntax and examples.

For the examples below, we'll assume its the 30th May 2012, and its 6pm (18:00).

* * *

### **TODAY**

Returns a number in days representing the current date from the epoch 31st December 1899.

| **Syntax** | **Result** |
| --- | --- |
| TODAY() | A number representing a date |

| **Example** | **Result** |
| --- | --- |
| \=TODAY() | 41059 (30th May 2012) |

* * *

### **DAY**

Returns the day of the month for a provided date.

| **Syntax** | **Where** | **Result** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| DAY(*d*) | *d* is a number representing a date | A number |

| **Example** | **Result** |
| --- | --- |
| \=DAY(TODAY()) | 30 |

* * *

### **WEEKDAY**

Works out the day of the week for the given date - Sunday is 1.

| **Syntax** | **Where** | **Result** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| WEEKDAY(*d*) | *d* is a number representing a date | A number |

| **Example** | **Result** |
| --- | --- |
| \=WEEKDAY(TODAY()) | 4 (Wednesday) |

* * *

### **MONTH**

Return a number representing the month for the given date. 1 January, 12 is December.

| **Syntax** | **Where** | **Result** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MONTH(*d*) | *d* is a number representing a date | A number |

| **Example** | **Result** |
| --- | --- |
| \=MONTH(TODAY()) | 5 |

* * *

### YEAR

Returns the year as a number for a given date.

| **Syntax** | **Where** | **Result** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| YEAR(*d*) | *d* is a number representing a date | A number |

| **Example** | **Result** |
| --- | --- |
| \=YEAR(TODAY()) | 2012 |

* * *

### **DATE**

Calculates the date value for the given day, month and year.

| **Syntax** | **Where** | **Result** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| DATE(*year, month, day)* | *year* is a number  <br>*month* is a number  <br>*day* is a number | A number representing a date |

| **Example** | **Result** |
| --- | --- |
| \=DATE(2012, 5, 31) | 41060 |

* * *

### **NOW**

Returns a number representing the current time.

| **Syntax** | **Result** |
| --- | --- |
| NOW() | A number representing a time |

| **Example** | **Result** |
| --- | --- |
| \=NOW() | 0.75 (18:00) |

* * *

### **TIME**

Returns a number representing the time for a given hour, minute and second.

| **Syntax** | **Where** | **Result** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| TIME(*hour, minute, second*) | *hour* is a number  <br>*minute* is a number  <br>*second* is a number | A number representing a time |

| **Example** | **Result** |
| --- | --- |
| \=TIME(18, 0, 0) | 0.75 |

* * *

### **HOUR**

Returns a number representing the hour of the day in hours for the given time.

| **Syntax** | **Where** | **Result** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| HOUR(*t*) | *t* is a number representing a time | A number |

| **Example** | **Result** |
| --- | --- |
| \=HOUR(NOW()) | 18 |

* * *

### **MINUTE**

Returns a number representing the minute for the given time.

| **Syntax** | **Where** | **Result** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MINUTE(*t*) | *t* is a number representing a time | A number |

| **Example** | **Result** |
| --- | --- |
| \=MINUTE(TIME(18, 15, 0)) | 15 |

* * *

### **SECOND**

Returns a number representing the seconds of the minute for the given time.

| **Syntax** | **Where** | **Result** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SECOND(*t*) | *t* is a number representing a time | A number |

| **Example** | **Result** |
| --- | --- |
| \=SECOND(TIME(18, 0, 17)) | 17 |

* * *

### **DAYS**

Converts *days* so it can be added to or subtracted from a date.

| **Syntax** | **Where** | **Result** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| DAYS(*days*) | *days* is a number | A number |

| **Example** | **Result** |
| --- | --- |
| \=TODAY() + DAYS(2) | The day after tomorrow |

* * *

### **HOURS**

Converts *hours* so it can be added to or subtracted from a time.

| **Syntax** | **Where** | **Result** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| HOURS(*hours*) | *hours* is a number | A number |

| **Example** | **Result** |
| --- | --- |
| \=NOW() + HOURS(2) | 20:00 |

* * *

### **MINUTES**

Converts *minutes* so it can be added to or subtracted from a time.

| **Syntax** | **Where** | **Result** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MINUTES(*minutes*) | *minutes* is a number | A number |

| **Example** | **Result** |
| --- | --- |
| \=NOW() + MINUTES(15) | 18:15 |

* * *

### **SECONDS**

Converts *seconds* so it can be added to or subtracted from a time.

| **Syntax** | **Where** | **Result** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SECONDS(*seconds*) | *seconds* is a number | A number |

| **Example** | **Result** |
| --- | --- |
| \=NOW() + SECONDS(20) | 18:00:20 |

* * *

### DATEFORMAT

Returns a text value that represents a given date in a specified format.

| **Syntax** | **Where** | **Result** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| DATEFORMATE(date, format) | date is a valid date value<br>format is a string describing how to date should be presented | Text |

The following table describes each specifier. Note that these are case-sensitive.

| Format specifier | Description | Output Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| "d" | The day of the month, from 1 through 31. | 17 |
| "dd" | The day of the month, from 01 through 31. | 17 |
| "ddd" | The abbreviated name of the day of the week. | Wed |
| dddd" | The full name of the day of the week. | Wednesday |
| "M" | The month, from 1 through 12. | 7 |
| "MM" | The month, from 01 through 12. | 07 |
| "MMM" | The abbreviated name of the month. | Jul |
| "MMMM" | The full name of the month. | July |
| "y" | The year, from 0 to 99. | 22 |
| "yy" | The year, from 00 to 99. | 22 |
| "yyy" | The year, with a minimum of three digits. | 2022 |
| "yyyy" | The year as a four-digit number. | 2022 |
| "h" | The hour, using a 12-hour clock from 1 to 12. | 2 |
| "hh" | The hour, using a 12-hour clock from 01 to 12. | 02 |
| "H" | The hour, using a 24-hour clock from 0 to 23. | 14 |
| "HH" | The hour, using a 24-hour clock from 00 to 23. | 14 |
| "m" | The minute, from 0 through 59. | 35 |
| "mm" | The minute, from 00 through 59. | 35 |
| "s" | The second, from 0 through 59. | 8 |
| "ss" | The second, from 00 through 59. | 08 |
| "t" | The first character of the AM/PM designator. | P |
| "tt" | The AM/PM designator. | PM |
| "K" | Time zone information. | \-01:00 |
| "z" | Hours offset from UTC, with no leading zeros. | \-1 |
| "zz" | Hours offset from UTC, with a leading zero for a single-digit value. | \-01 |
| "zzz" | Hours and minutes offset from UTC. | \-01:00 |

| **Example** | **Result** |
| --- | --- |
| =DATEFORMAT(NOW(), "dd-MMM-yyyy") | 30-May 2012 |
| \=DATEFORMAT(NOW(), "ddd-dd MMM yy") | Wed-17 Jul 22 |
| \=DATEFORMAT(NOW(), "HH:mm"") | 18:00 |
| \=DATEFORMAT(NOW(), ""dd/MM/yyyy HH:mm"") | 30/05/2012 18:00 |