DateFormula provides the definition and storage of a simple, but clever, set of constructs to support the calculation of runtime-sensitive dates. DateFormula is stored in a non-language dependent format, hence supporting multi-language functionality. DateFormula is a combination of the following:
- Numeric multipliers (for example, 1, 2, 3, 4, and so on)
- Alpha time units (all must be uppercase)
- D for a day
- W for a week
- WD for the day of the week, that is, day 1 through day 7 (either in the future or in the past, not today); Monday is day 1, and Sunday is day 7
- M for calendar month
- Y for year
- CM for current month, CY for current year, and CW for current week
- Math symbols interpretation: + (plus), that is, CM + 10D means the current month end plus 10 days (in other words, the 10th of next month), and - (minus), that is, (-WD3), which means the date of the previous Wednesday (the third day of the past week)
- Positional notation (D15 means the 15th day of the month...