In the example shown, the formula in D6 is: This is what happens at the core of the formula here: Here are are simply subtracting an earlier date from a later date. To figure out what dates to use for each date range comparison, we use MIN to get the earliest end date, and MAX to get the latest end date. We add 1 to the result to make sure we are counting “fence posts” and not “gaps between fence posts” (analogy from John Walkenbach in the Excel 2010 Bible). Finally, we use the MAX function to trap negative values and return zero instead. Using MAX this way is a clever way to avoid using IF.
Dave Bruns
Hi - I’m Dave Bruns, and I run Exceljet with my wife, Lisa. Our goal is to help you work faster in Excel. We create short videos, and clear examples of formulas, functions, pivot tables, conditional formatting, and charts.
