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MiniRobotLanguage (MRL)
DTO.DateDiff Command
Calculate the Difference in Days Between Two Dates
Intention
The DTO.DateDiff command calculates the approximate number of days between two dates. It is a powerful tool for determining durations, calculating age, finding the number of days until a deadline, or measuring the time elapsed since an event.
The command subtracts the second date from the first (`date1` - `date2`). The result is a single integer: positive if the first date is later than the second, and negative if it is earlier.
Syntax
DTO.DateDiff|date1|date2|[format]|[$$RES]
Parameter Explanation
date1 - The first date string (minuend).
date2 - The second date string (subtrahend).
format - (Optional) The format mask for both `date1` and `date2`. If omitted, "DD.MM.YYYY" is assumed.
$$RES - (Optional) The variable where the resulting integer (number of days) will be stored.
Example
'**********************************************
' DTO.DateDiff - Sample
'**********************************************
'
' --- Sample 1: Calculate days between two dates ---
$$DAA = "31.12.2024"
$$DAB = "01.01.2024"
DTO.DateDiff|$$DAA|$$DAB||$$RES
MBX.Days between the two dates: $$RES
'
' --- Sample 2: Calculate age in days (using custom format) ---
$$TOD = "2024-05-21" ' Today's date
$$BRD = "1990-08-15" ' Birth date
DTO.DateDiff|$$TOD|$$BRD|YYYY-MM-DD|$$AGE
MBX.Approximate age in days: $$AGE
ENR.
Remarks
The result is positive if `date1` is chronologically after `date2`. The result is negative if `date1` is before `date2`.
Limitations:
Important: The internal calculation logic uses an approximation (Years * 365 + Months * 30 + Days). This means the result is generally accurate for estimations but may have a small margin of error over long periods or across many leap years. It is not recommended for high-precision financial or legal calculations where exact day counts are critical.
See also:
• DTC. - Date and Time Calculation