DATEOFF

Purpose

Returns the date resulting from adding a specified number of days to a specified date.

Syntax

►►─┬─ DATEOFF ──┬─ ( gregorian-date, offset ) ────────────────────────────────►◄
   └─ DATEOFFX ─┘

Parameters

DATEOFF/DATEOFFX

Invokes the date offset function. DATEOFFX operates on values that contain the century portion of the year.

gregorian-date

Specifies the date, in Gregorian format, to which the offset is added.

Gregorian-date can be:

The name of a user-defined variable data field
A user-supplied numeric literal

offset

Specifies the offset, in days, that is added to the specified date. Offset can be:

The name of a user-defined variable data field
A user-supplied numeric literal
A built-in function that returns a numeric value

Offset can be negative.

Usage

DATEOFF assumes the twentieth century if the year is greater than 68, and assumes the twenty-first century if between 0 and 68. DATEOFFX allows a computation to be made in any century.

DATEOFFX assumes a continuous algorithm using the modern Gregorian calendar. It does not contain tables for historical aberrations.

Anytime a signed literal is used with DATEOFF, it should be enclosed within single quotes like this:

MOVE DATEOFF(911119,'-1') TO EXP-DATE

Example 1

In the following example, the date offset function is used to find the date that results from adding four days to January 28, 1978:

Statement:
    MOVE DATEOFF(780128,4) TO WK-RESULT.
Returned value: 780201

Example 2

In this example, the date offset function is used to find the date that results from adding five days to December 28, 1999. Gregorian-date contains the century portion of the year, as does the returned date.

Statement:
    MOVE DATEOFFX(19991228,5) TO WK-RESULT.
Returned value: 20000102