Need help with formulae comparing date-based numbers

I'm trying to write a Excel formula that enters an integer value for a cell,
the value representing an age in days. To get this value, I'm comparing
values in two cells. One cell may or may not have a value, but it establishes
the upper limit for the integer value.
The problem is this: I have tried using both the IF and DATEDIF functions,
and neither returns an integer value. Both give me date values, such as:
4/29/1900. (Kudos to the programmer who sent my data aging in reverse;
perhaps Einstein could learn something from this relativity.) The syntax in
my formulas (below) has no defect that I'm aware of. Someone enlighten me.
=DATEDIF(G4,TODAY(),"d")
=IF(J4F4,F4,J4)
F4 is a cell with an integer value, like 120
J4 calculates an integer using DAYS360. (I have also used it in combination
with an IF, and get the same result)
G4 holds a manually entered date value such as 5/1/ 2009

Check the format of the cell that contains this formula =IF(J4F4,F4,J4)
If it is set to general you get your integer value, If it is set to date you
get 29/04/1900

"Dataslinger" wrote:

I'm trying to write a Excel formula that enters an integer value for a cell,
the value representing an age in days. To get this value, I'm comparing
values in two cells. One cell may or may not have a value, but it establishes
the upper limit for the integer value.
The problem is this: I have tried using both the IF and DATEDIF functions,
and neither returns an integer value. Both give me date values, such as:
4/29/1900. (Kudos to the programmer who sent my data aging in reverse;
perhaps Einstein could learn something from this relativity.) The syntax in
my formulas (below) has no defect that I'm aware of. Someone enlighten me.
=DATEDIF(G4,TODAY(),"d")
=IF(J4F4,F4,J4)
F4 is a cell with an integer value, like 120
J4 calculates an integer using DAYS360. (I have also used it in combination
with an IF, and get the same result)
G4 holds a manually entered date value such as 5/1/ 2009

Both give me date values, such as: 4/29/1900.

Change the cell format to General or Number and you'll get the integer 120.

--
Biff
Microsoft Excel MVP


"Dataslinger" wrote in message
...
I'm trying to write a Excel formula that enters an integer value for a
cell,
the value representing an age in days. To get this value, I'm comparing
values in two cells. One cell may or may not have a value, but it
establishes
the upper limit for the integer value.
The problem is this: I have tried using both the IF and DATEDIF functions,
and neither returns an integer value. Both give me date values, such as:
4/29/1900. (Kudos to the programmer who sent my data aging in reverse;
perhaps Einstein could learn something from this relativity.) The syntax
in
my formulas (below) has no defect that I'm aware of. Someone enlighten me.
=DATEDIF(G4,TODAY(),"d")
=IF(J4F4,F4,J4)
F4 is a cell with an integer value, like 120
J4 calculates an integer using DAYS360. (I have also used it in
combination
with an IF, and get the same result)
G4 holds a manually entered date value such as 5/1/ 2009