How to use the DAYS function in Microsoft excel?

 

ABOUT FUNCTION:

DAYS function in Microsoft Excel returns the days count between two reference dates.

PURPOSE:

To get a duration or days between two dates.

OUTPUT OF THE FUNCTION:

Total duration or number of days between two dates

SYNTEX:

=DAYS(end_date, start_date)

ARGUMENTS:

●     end_date: required. The end date

●     start_date: required. The start date

NOTES:

Excel stores a date as sequential serial numbers so that it can be used for calculation. By default, Microsoft Excel considers Jan 01, 1900 as a start date and its serial number as 1. Therefore, for the date Jan 01, 1901 the serial number will be 367 because it is 366 days after Jan 01,1900.

By default, first date in Excel: Jan 01,1900

If both date arguments are numbers, DAYS will perform End date - Start date to calculate the number of days in between start date and end date.

If any arguments in the DAYS function is text value, then function will return an integer date instead of time component

If date arguments are numeric values that fall outside the range of valid dates, DAYS returns the #NUM! error value.

If date arguments are strings that cannot be analyzed as valid dates, DAYS returns the #VALUE! error value.

EXAMPLE:

Below function in E7 cell returns the number of days between two dates mentioned in C7 and D7. It will return the duration or day count between start and end date is 1242 days.

Function:

=DAYS(D7, C7)

Description:

Days function will perform calculation to count days between END DATE - START DATE.

Output:

Returns 1242 days is the days count between two dates.

 

Excel also counts the days between two dates when arguments are Date instead of reference subject to valid format recognized by Microsoft Excel.

Function:

=DAYS(“01-01-2020”, “01-01-2019”)

Description:

When you are using direct dates as an argument in function, you need to enclose these values in double quotation marks.

Output:

Returns 365 days

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How to use IF function in Microsoft excel?

 

About Function:

The IF function perform a logical test and returns different value for TRUE result and FALSE result.

The example is shown in above picture with formula to get a quick performance analysis of student. In that table the student who have received 50% above marks are marked as “Pass” and who have received less than 50% are “Fail”.

More than one condition can also be tested in IF function by using nesting IF functions. The IF function can be combined with logical functions like AND and OR to extend the logical test.

Purpose of the Function:

To perform specific condition

Output Value:

The value for TRUE or FALSE condition

Syntax:

=IF(logical_test, [value_if_true], [value_if_false])

Arguments:

logical_test – value or expression that can be evaluated.

value_if_true – [Optional] the value to return if logical test is TRUE

value_if_false - [Optional] the value to return if logical test is FALSE

Example:

The IF function will perform the logical test on a specific cell and react with the logical test is TRUE or FALSE. The IF function will return the respective value for TRUE or FALSE result.

In our example, we have table of marks of different student. We have performed IF function to get a quick performance result of students. The student who have more than 50% marks are “Pass” and who have less than 50% marks are “Fail”

 

=IF(D5>50, “Pass”, “Fail”)

returns Pass, if mark is more than 50 otherwise returns Fail

More example of possible logical test in the same example is also shown in below table:

=IF(D5>=50, “Pass”, “Fail”)

=IF(D5<=50, “Fail”, “Pass”)

=IF(D5<50, “Fail”, “Pass”)

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How to use SUM function in Microsoft excel?

About Function:

The Excel SUM function returns the sum of values supplied. These values can be numbers, cell references, ranges, arrays, and constants, in any combination. SUM can handle up to 255 individual arguments.

Purpose of the Function:

Add numbers together

Output Value:

The sum of values supplied

Syntax:

=SUM(number1, [number2], …)

Arguments:

number1 – first value.

number2 – [Optional] second value.

Example:

Range	=SUM(D7:D10)	returns 22
Reference	=SUM(D7,D9)	returns 14
Constant	=SUM(5,10,15)	returns 30

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How to use COUNT function in Microsoft excel?

About Function:

The Excel COUNT function use to count of cells that contain numbers.

The COUNT function returns the count of numeric values in the list of supplied arguments. Arguments can be individual items, cell references, or ranges up to a total of 255 arguments. All numbers including negative values, percentages, dates, fractions, and time are counted. Empty cells and text values are ignored.

Purpose of Function:

Count the number of cells

Output Value:

The count of cells that contains numeric value

Syntax:

=COUNT(value1, [value2], …)

Arguments:

value1 – an item, cell reference or range.

value2 – [Optional] an item, cell reference or range.

Example 1 - Range:

Function	Output
=COUNT(C7:C14)	returns 5

 In the above example, COUNT function is set up to count the values in the range C7:C14. And the output of the function will return 5 since there are four numeric value in that specified range. Text value and blank cells are ignored by this function.

Example 2 - Constant:

Function	Output
=COUNT(1,2,3,”world”)	returns 3

In the above example, out of four value, three are numeric and one is text. Therefore, the output of this function will return 3.

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