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How To Get Today's Date In Excel

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    Discovering how to get today's date in Excel can streamline your data management and reporting tasks. Excel offers functions to display the current date, crucial for time-sensitive data analysis and documentation.

    This guide provides straightforward steps to use Excel's date functions effectively. We will also explore why Sourcetable presents a more user-friendly alternative for accomplishing this task.

    Get Today's Date in Excel

    Using the TODAY Function

    To display today's date in an Excel cell, use the TODAY() function. Simply enter =TODAY() into a cell, and it will automatically populate with the current date. This function is dynamic and updates the date each day you open the spreadsheet.

    Calculating Date Differences

    The TODAY() function can calculate the difference between today and another date. Subtract the past date from =TODAY() to get the number of days since that date.

    Projecting Future or Past Dates

    To project dates in the future or past, add or subtract the number of days to the =TODAY() function. For past dates, use a negative number.

    Common Use Cases

    • excel

      Tracking daily sales in a retail business

    • excel

      Automatically updating the date in a daily attendance sheet

    • excel

      Calculating the age of inventory items based on their entry date

    • excel

      Generating a daily report with the current date as a header

    • excel

      Monitoring project deadlines against the current date

    Comparing Excel and Sourcetable

    Excel vs. Sourcetable Data Integration: Excel requires manual data integration, whereas Sourcetable streamlines data collection from multiple sources into one interface, enhancing data management efficiency.

    AI Assistance in Spreadsheet Management: Sourcetable's AI copilot surpasses Excel by providing intelligent assistance in formula creation and template generation, optimizing user productivity.

    User Experience: Sourcetable's chat interface redefines user interaction, offering a more intuitive experience compared to Excel's traditional formula-based approach.

    Advanced Formula Support: While Excel caters to a wide range of functions, Sourcetable's AI empowers users with formula assistance, simplifying complex data operations.

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