DateDiff

How to Use the Power Fx DateDiff  Function in Power Apps

What Is the Power Fx DateDiff Function?

The Power Fx DateDiff function is a function used to calculate the difference between two dates. It takes three arguments: the unit of time to calculate the difference in, the start date, and the end date. The unit of time can be specified as days, hours, minutes, seconds, or milliseconds.

Using the Power Fx DateDiff Function

To use the Power Fx DateDiff function, you first need to understand the syntax. Here is an example:


DateDiff(Unit of Time, Start Date, End Date)


Let’s break this down:

– **Unit of Time**: This is the unit of time that you want to calculate the difference in. It can be specified as days, hours, minutes, seconds, or milliseconds.

– **Start Date**: This is the starting date of the period you want to calculate the difference for. It must be a date/time value.

– **End Date**: This is the ending date of the period you want to calculate the difference for. It must also be a date/time value.

Example

Let’s say that you want to calculate the number of days between two dates. Here is an example of how you would use the Power Fx DateDiff function:


DateDiff(

Days,

DateValue("2021-01-01"),

DateValue("2021-01-15")

)


This would return the value 14, which represents the number of days between January 1st and January 15th.

Other Units of Time

You can also use the Power Fx DateDiff function to calculate the difference in other units of time. Here are some examples:

– **Hours**: `DateDiff(Hours, Start Date, End Date)`

– **Minutes**: `DateDiff(Minutes, Start Date, End Date)`

– **Seconds**: `DateDiff(Seconds, Start Date, End Date)`

– **Milliseconds**: `DateDiff(Milliseconds, Start Date, End Date)`

Common Scenarios

The Power Fx DateDiff function is often used in a variety of scenarios. Here are some common examples:

#### Age Calculation

One common scenario is to calculate a person’s age based on their date of birth. Here is an example of how you would use the Power Fx DateDiff function to do this:


Floor(

DateDiff(

Years,

DateValue("1980-01-01"),

Now()

)

)


This would return the person’s age in years, based on their date of birth (January 1st, 1980) and the current date.

#### Time Since Last Update

Another common scenario is to calculate the amount of time that has elapsed since a record was last updated. Here is an example of how you would use the Power Fx DateDiff function to do this:


DateDiff(

Minutes,

LastModifiedDateTime,

Now()

)


This would return the number of minutes that have elapsed since the record was last modified.

The Power Fx DateDiff function is a powerful tool for performing date calculations in Power Apps. By understanding its syntax and the different units of time that it supports, you can use it to solve a variety of business problems.

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