DATEVALUE function: Description, Usage, Syntax, Examples and Explanation
What is DATEVALUE function in Excel?
DATEVALUE function is one of Date and Time functions in Microsoft Excel that converts a date that is stored as text to a serial number that Excel recognizes as a date. For example, the formula =DATEVALUE(“1/1/2008”) returns 39448, the serial number of the date 1/1/2008. Remember, though, that your computer’s system date setting may cause the results of a DATEVALUE function to vary from this example
Syntax of DATEVALUE function
DATEVALUE(date_text)
The DATEVALUE function syntax has the following arguments:
- Date_text: Text that represents a date in an Excel date format, or a reference to a cell that contains text that represents a date in an Excel date format. For example, “1/30/2008” or “30-Jan-2008” are text strings within quotation marks that represent dates.Using the default date system in Microsoft Excel for Windows, the date_text argument must represent a date between January 1, 1900 and December 31, 9999. The DATEVALUE function returns the #VALUE! error value if the value of the date_text argument falls outside of this range.If the year portion of the date_text argument is omitted, the DATEVALUE function uses the current year from your computer’s built-in clock. Time information in the date_text argument is ignored.
DATEVALUE formula explanation
- Excel stores dates as sequential serial numbers so that they can be used in calculations. By default, January 1, 1900 is serial number 1, and January 1, 2008 is serial number 39448 because it is 39,447 days after January 1, 1900.
- Most functions automatically convert date values to serial numbers.
Example of DATEVALUE function
Steps to follow:
1. Open a new Excel worksheet.
2. Copy data in the following table below and paste it in cell A1
Note: For formulas to show results, select them, press F2 key on your keyboard and then press Enter.
You can adjust the column widths to see all the data, if need be.
| Data | ||
| 11 | ||
| 3 | ||
| 2011 | ||
| Formula | Description | Result |
| =DATEVALUE(“8/22/2011”) | Serial number of a date entered as text. | 40777 |
| =DATEVALUE(“22-MAY-2011”) | Serial number of a date entered as text. | 40685 |
| =DATEVALUE(“2011/02/23”) | Serial number of a date entered as text. | 40597 |
| =DATEVALUE(“5-JUL”) | Serial number of a date entered as text, using the 1900 date system, and assuming the computer’s built-in clock returns 2011 as the current year. | 39634 |
| =DATEVALUE(A2 & “/” & A3 & “/” & A4) | Serial number of a date created by combining the values in cells A2, A3, and A4. | 40850 |