MAXIFS with DATEVALUE

[scheij]

I'm trying to enter the MAXIFS function in E2, but Excel doesn't recognize the formula.  Thanks for any help you can offer.

[#2]

Yes, my version of Excel does support the MAXIFS function. I've used it before.

[#3]

@scheij 

First parameter shall be the range, not formula. Convert first column into dates first.

[#4]

@SergeiBaklan 

Thanks, Sergei.  VisitDateText, GearE, and SurvE are named ranges in the VisitData worksheet. Many cells in those named ranges are blank in this workbook. The VisitDate named range in the LF worksheet converts the text to a DATEVALUE. It seems the #VALUE results in VisitDate are causing the MAXIFS function in Q6 to return zero.

[#5]

@scheij 

Formula in Q6 is

=MAXIFS(VisitDate,GearE,"BOOM SHOCKER",SurvE,$B$3)

we try to find max on VisitDate. The latest returns array of texts with some zeroes at the end which correspond to blank cells in the source. MAXIFS ignores texts and returns max from numbers. 0 in our case or 1900-01-00 in date format.

Not to be dependant on locale I converted texts to dates as

=DATE(RIGHT(VisitDateText,4), LEFT(VisitDateText,2), MID(VisitDateText,4,2) )

which correctly returns dates. If MAXIFS on that spill it returns some date.

Please check in attached.

[#6]

@SergeiBaklan 

T6 and T8 show that the =DATEVALUE conversion in P6 produced the same result as the =DATE conversion in R6.  Using a named range in the MAXIFS formula seems to cause the problem.  See T10:T13 in attachment.  VisitDate has the same size and shape as GearE and SurvE.

[#7]

@scheij 

I converted FishData!P:P with dates as texts into real data in FishData!BH:BH. In LF sheet reference is changed accordingly

VisitDate remains the same

Now use it in formula, it works

The only difference VisitDate now returns correctly converted dates, not texts.

[#8]

@SergeiBaklan 

The MAXIFS result 05/07/1962 is incorrect because criteria2 (SurvE,$B$3) has only dates in 2022.

The text to date conversion should be on VisitDateText in VisitData!M:M, not FishData!P:P.  I have a mistake in the reference for VisitDate.

[#9 · Accepted solution]

@scheij 

Maybe, I'm not sure which ranges are to be taken. That was only to illustrate that named range causes no error with MAXIFS if only it returns correct data. In our case that shall be dates, not texts as with your variant.

To be sure you may return spill such named range at any place and check with ISTEXT() do you have texts or dates.

[#10]

@SergeiBaklan 

My entire problem is traced back to my mistake in the reference to the range named VisitDate.  With that reference correct now, MAXIFS gives correct result for both text to date conversions in LF!P:P and LF!R:R. I wanted to attach a final copy, but maybe there is a limit.  Thank you for your help with this

[#11]

@scheij , thank you for the update, glad to help