MIN_DATE_ELEMENTS() : find the earliest date (among linked dates)

In a formula column, the MIN_DATE_ELEMENTS() function returns the earliest date across several date columns, including columns holding several dates such as Column from a linked table fields. The result is a date.

Syntax

MIN_DATE_ELEMENTS(column1, column2, column3)

Parameters

# Parameter Description

1 column1, column2... A column holding one or several dates. Can be a Link to another table column or a Column from a linked table returning dates.

Examples

Find the earliest date across three columns

The column returns the earliest date among the linked dates.

MIN_DATE_ELEMENTS($Dates1, $Dates2, $Dates3)

MIN_DATE_ELEMENTS applied to three Date columns

The MIN_DATE_ELEMENTS formula was applied to the three Date columns to get the earliest date among the three.

Your formula returns 0 or stays empty

None of the columns contains a date

If every column passed as a parameter is empty or holds no date, the function has nothing to compare.

The column output format is not Date

In the Options tab, set the output format to Date. For details, see Output format options in the Formula column article.

Go further

MAX_DATE_ELEMENTS

The opposite operation: get the most recent date from the same set.

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