I am attempting to compare two dates and thought this would be fairly straightforward. I’m not finding that to be the case. I set two variables: one to a random date and the other to now. I converted everything to seconds and figured out how to make the variables numeric. However, when I try to simply subtract one from the other, the result is a text string. I would appreciate any suggestions as to what I’m doing wrong.
Testing Dates.json (5.6 KB)
Use the operator from make, not the - on your keyboard.
You can type it like this: {{-}}
L
Hi @Todd_Cook
Please use the below formula:
Time diff between days
{{round((Date1 - Date2) / (1000 * 60 * 60 * 24))}}
Time diff between Minutes
{{round((Date1 - Date2) / 1000 / 60)}}
Ensure you apply parse function if the date is not of date datatype.
Regards,
Msquare Automation - Gold Partner of Make
Explore our YouTube Channel for valuable insights and updates!
Firstly, to compare the difference between then and now,
You need to subtract the past date from the current date. Currently you are doing this the opposite way, and you are not using the built-in minus operator.
If you want to compare the number of days between the two dates,
Then you need to divide the result by 86400 (seconds in a day).
You can use the floor function to reduce it further to whole days.
Lastly, you do not need formatNumber since both results in a numeric output.
You also do not need parseDate on the {{now}} variable, since it’s already a Date type variable.
You can copy and paste this module export into your scenario. This will paste the modules shown in my screenshots above.
Copy the JSON code below by clicking the copy button when you mouseover the top-right of the code block
Enter your scenario editor. Press ESC to close any dialogs. Press CTRLV (paste keyboard shortcut for Windows) to paste directly in the canvas.
Click on each imported module and save it for validation. You may be prompted to remap some variables and connections.
JSON - Copy and Paste this directly in the scenario editor
{
"subflows": [
{
"flow": [
{
"id": 10,
"module": "util:SetVariables",
"version": 1,
"parameters": {},
"mapper": {
"variables": [
{
"name": "xfrDate",
"value": "{{formatDate(parseDate(\"3/1/2024\"); \" X\")}}"
},
{
"name": "Current",
"value": "{{formatDate(now; \"X\")}}"
}
],
"scope": "roundtrip"
},
"metadata": {
"designer": {
"x": 300,
"y": 150
},
"restore": {
"expect": {
"variables": {
"items": [
null,
null
]
},
"scope": {
"label": "One cycle"
}
}
},
"expect": [
{
"name": "variables",
"type": "array",
"label": "Variables",
"spec": [
{
"name": "name",
"label": "Variable name",
"type": "text",
"required": true
},
{
"name": "value",
"label": "Variable value",
"type": "any"
}
]
},
{
"name": "scope",
"type": "select",
"label": "Variable lifetime",
"required": true,
"validate": {
"enum": [
"roundtrip",
"execution"
]
}
}
],
"interface": [
{
"name": "xfrDate",
"label": "xfrDate",
"type": "any"
},
{
"name": "Current",
"label": "Current",
"type": "any"
}
]
}
},
{
"id": 11,
"module": "util:SetVariables",
"version": 1,
"parameters": {},
"mapper": {
"variables": [
{
"name": "SecondsDiff",
"value": "{{10.Current - 10.xfrDate}}"
},
{
"name": "DaysDiff",
"value": "{{floor((10.Current - 10.xfrDate) / 86400)}}"
}
],
"scope": "roundtrip"
},
"metadata": {
"designer": {
"x": 600,
"y": 150
},
"restore": {
"expect": {
"variables": {
"items": [
null,
null
]
},
"scope": {
"label": "One cycle"
}
}
},
"expect": [
{
"name": "variables",
"type": "array",
"label": "Variables",
"spec": [
{
"name": "name",
"label": "Variable name",
"type": "text",
"required": true
},
{
"name": "value",
"label": "Variable value",
"type": "any"
}
]
},
{
"name": "scope",
"type": "select",
"label": "Variable lifetime",
"required": true,
"validate": {
"enum": [
"roundtrip",
"execution"
]
}
}
],
"interface": [
{
"name": "SecondsDiff",
"label": "SecondsDiff",
"type": "any"
},
{
"name": "DaysDiff",
"label": "DaysDiff",
"type": "any"
}
]
}
}
]
}
],
"metadata": {
"version": 1
}
}
samliew – request private consultation
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Thanks very much. I was not aware there was a difference between the minus sign and the in-program function.
Thanks very much, @Msquare_Automation
Thanks very much, Sam. The biggest part of my issue was the minus vs the built-in subtraction function. Once I changed that, it began to make more sense. Ultimately, I ended up with the below. I can now incorporate these learnings into my active scenarios. Thanks again for a clear, concise explanation of concepts.
No problem, glad I could help!
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parseDate | Tokens for formatDatesamliew – request private consultation
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Glad to know that the solution provided was helpful.
Regards,
Msquare Automation - Gold Partner of Make
Explore our YouTube Channel for valuable insights and updates!