Let’s say you have a date in A1 and want to find out future date after 2 years, 4 months and 9 days.
Here are a few formulas you can try.
- =A1 + DATE(2,4,9)
- =EDATE(A1, 2*12+4) + 9
- =A1 + 2*365 + 4*30 + 9
Surprisingly, each formula gives a different result! So which one should you use?
Let’s test them with a sample date to see the results.
Assuming A1 has today’s date, ie 2nd of August, 2016, we get below results respectively.
- 10-NOV-2018
- 11-DEC-2018
- 9-DEC-2018
But which one is the correct answer?
We can use manual calculation to find the correct answer.
Today is 2nd of August 2016, so:
- Adding 2 years to it, we get 2nd of August 2018
- Adding 4 months, we get 2nd of December 2018
- Adding 9 days, we get 11th of December 2018
That means, the correct formula would be =EDATE(A1, 2*12 + 4) + 9
Which one would you use?
My preference is to use EDATE() when doing any date arithmetic that involves months or years. For adding either days, I use simple date + number method. For adding workdays, I use either WORKDAY() or WORKDAY.INTL() formulas.
What about you? What formula would you use to add any number of years, months and days to a give date? Please share your formulas in the comment section.
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If you and Excel are always on a bad date, you could use some advice. Check out below tutorials to have an amazing dating scene.
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This post is part of our Awesome August Excel Festival.
9 Responses to “Show forecast values in a different color with this simple trick [charting]”
While this works in a pinch, it clearly "lightens" the colors of the entire chart. Depending on where you use this, it will be blatantly obvious that you don't know what you are doing and present a poor looking graph.
Why not separate the data into different segments when charting and have as many colors as you have data points? You might have to create a new legend and/or repeat the chart in "invisible ink", but it would be cleaner and more consistent when new or updated data becomes available.
While I think I agree that doing it "properly" via a second series is preferable, I don't necessarily agree that making the entirety of the "future" (data, gridlines, and even the axis) semi-transparent is "poor looking". I think it could be seen as adding more emphasis to the "future-ness" of the forecast data.
In short, it's another tool for the toolbox, even if it's never needed.
Simply and clever 🙂
Quick & effective, cool. thanks.
I always use the dummy series.
Nice little trick, thanks very much!
Two sets of data better. Control is much better.
You can use the same chart next month to see what is actual and what is forecast.
To use this trick, I think grid lines has to be removed, that will make the graphic much more sharp.
to be honest, i dont understand why there is needed to do this way... in this case horizontal lines will be pale as well. then why a just can't change the color of the line partly???
Great tutorial. Thanks for the tutorial!