Have you ever encountered Excel date serial numbers and wondered how to effectively display or convert them, especially within Power Apps? This guide offers a comprehensive understanding and solution to this common challenge.
Understanding Excel Date Serial Numbers
Microsoft Excel has a unique way of storing dates – as sequential serial numbers. This approach aids in maintaining diverse datetime formats across multiple regions. There can be complications, especially when app developers interface with data sources containing records initially imported from Excel via certain processes or workflow automations.
Essentially, Excel’s method of saving dates in the form of numeric serial numbers facilitates compatibility with various datetime formats across numerous regions. For a deeper dive into this, you can check Microsoft’s official documentation.
A quick insight – Excel’s serial number for the date 29th November 2021 stands at 44529. This serial number signifies the count of days since the reference point of 1st January 1900. It’s intriguing to note that Excel’s date functions falter for dates before this reference date. Earlier versions of Excel, particularly for Macintosh computers, have their serial number commencement from 1st January 1904. Adjustments might be necessary if your data originates from the 1904 system. More about it can be read here.
Excel Date Serial to Power Apps Date Conversion
Intending to transform the serial number 44529 to its corresponding date value? The DateAdd function can be employed to add the serial value to the reference date of 1st January 1900.
DateAdd(Date(1900,1,1),
44529 -2 ,
Days
)
The formula’s uniqueness lies in the subtraction of 2 days from the target serial number. The primary reason stems from the fact that serial numbers start from 1 (for “1st January 1900”). Secondly, Excel mistakenly regards 1900 as a leap year. Consequently, serial numbers after the 59th (28th February 1900) are offset by one day. This demands the subtraction of a second day.
For accurate representation of dates before 1st March 1900, a slightly modified formula is used. This and other intricate details can be found in the official documentation.
Conclusion
Displaying Excel date serial numbers requires a precise conversion technique, essentially adding the serial number to 1st January 1900 and then making a necessary adjustment by subtracting 1 or 2 days, contingent on the date in question. With these techniques in hand, you’re set to handle any Excel serial number challenge that comes your way.
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