Excel Formula for Date Comparison

Formula

The following Excel formula can be used to check if a date has passed as of today and return 0 if it has:

=IF(A1 < TODAY(), 0, A1)

Explanation

1. Function Overview:

   • The IF function is a logical function in Excel that allows you to perform a conditional check.
   • TODAY() is a built-in function that returns the current date.

2. Components:

   • A1: Reference to the cell containing the date you want to evaluate.
   • < TODAY(): This checks if the date in cell A1 is before today's date.
   • 0: The value returned if the condition is TRUE (i.e., the date has passed).
   • A1: The value returned if the condition is FALSE (i.e., the date has not passed).

3. Logic:

   • If the date in A1 is earlier than today, the formula returns 0.
   • If the date is today or in the future, it returns the original date in A1.

Practical Example

Assuming the following:

• Cell A1 contains the date 2023-09-01.

Using the formula:

=IF(A1 < TODAY(), 0, A1)

• If today's date is 2023-10-01, the formula evaluates as follows:

  • A1 < TODAY() checks if 2023-09-01 < 2023-10-01, which is TRUE.
  • Therefore, the result will be 0.

• If A1 contained a future date such as 2023-11-01:

  • The result would be 2023-11-01 since the date has not passed.

Conclusion

This formula effectively evaluates whether a specified date has already elapsed and provides a clear output accordingly. For enhanced capabilities and further learning on related Excel functionalities, consider exploring the Enterprise DNA Platform for dedicated resources and courses on data analysis.