How do I subtract between two dates in a survey? | XM Community
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How do I subtract between two dates in a survey?

  • April 24, 2018
  • 20 replies
  • 1388 views
K
I have two seperate questions in a survey that are dates. I would like to calculate the difference between these two dates as this is a component of determining a participant's eligibility. Does anyone know specific javascript code that I can utilize in order to calculate this difference and add it to the survey logic?

Best answer by MohammedAli_Rajapkar

Hi @kducharme If you are familiar with javascript then you can implement something similar to below. https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2609513/jquery-calculate-day-difference-in-2-date-textboxes

20 replies

MohammedAli_Rajapkar
QPN Level 5 ●●●●●
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Hi @kducharme If you are familiar with javascript then you can implement something similar to below. https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2609513/jquery-calculate-day-difference-in-2-date-textboxes
Regards, Mohammed Ali
K
K
  • kducharme
  • Author
  • April 25, 2018
Hey, Thank you! I was just wondering- if I inset the text below into javascript... var start = new Date("2010-04-01"), end = new Date(), diff = new Date(end - start), days = diff/1000/60/60/24; days; How do I link it to the questions that have calendar dates into this? Also do I have to do anything into embedded data in survey field after I set this up in javascript? Thank you for your help! Qualtrics Newbie :)
TomG
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  • TomG
  • Level 8 ●●●●●●●●
  • April 25, 2018
You pipe the date values into your JavaScript. For example: ``` var start = new Date("${q://QID1/ChoiceTextEntryValue}"); ``` You save your computed value to an embedded data field like this: ``` Qualtrics.SurveyEngine.setEmbeddedData("daysDiff",days); ``` Be sure to initialize your embedded data field in the survey flow if you want it included in your response data.
MohammedAli_Rajapkar
QPN Level 5 ●●●●●
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You will have to find the start date question id which you can do by using "inspect element" as shown in below URL: check for locating web element in chrome http://www.softwaretestinghelp.com/locate-elements-in-chrome-ie-selenium-tutorial-7/ var start = jQuery("#replace_with_start_date_id").val(); var end = new Date(), (or if you are asking the end date in survey then jQuery("#replace_with_end_date_id").val();) var diff = new Date(end - start), var days = diff/1000/60/60/24; Qualtrics.SurveyEngine.setEmbeddedData( "Datediff", days) create a "Datediff" embedded data in survey flow. Hope the above steps help!
Regards, Mohammed Ali
A
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If I have to calculate the difference in time between the two dates, how can we work that out?
TomG
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  • TomG
  • Level 8 ●●●●●●●●
  • March 6, 2020
> @AAnuragDAS said: > If I have to calculate the difference in time between the two dates, how can we work that out? I recommend you use moment.js.
A
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@TomG I did look into moment.js but how will we be placing embedded field in the script. Basically I need to calculate the difference between current time and time which we receive in the embedded field. The format will be DD/MM/YYYY HH:MM:SS
TomG
Level 8 ●●●●●●●●
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  • TomG
  • Level 8 ●●●●●●●●
  • March 6, 2020
> @AAnuragDAS said: > @TomG I did look into moment.js but how will we be placing embedded field in the script. Basically I need to calculate the difference between current time and time which we receive in the embedded field. The format will be DD/MM/YYYY HH:MM:SS Look at the documentation for moment.format() and moment.diff().
K
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  • KWright84
  • December 17, 2020

Hi TomG ,

I have tried this technique to pipe my question text into the formula and it is not working. Am I doing something wrong? I want the number of days between someone's last visit to campus 

(
${q://QID61/ChoiceGroup/AllChoicesTextEntry}), and the current date. This is what I have:
var start = new Date(${q://QID61/ChoiceGroup/AllChoicesTextEntry}),
    end   = new Date(),
    diff  = new Date(end - start),
    days  = diff/1000/60/60/24
I put this in the Set Embed Data portion of the survey flow:
image.pngIt just returns the formula. Am I not entering this in the right place?

TomG
Level 8 ●●●●●●●●
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  • TomG
  • Level 8 ●●●●●●●●
  • December 17, 2020

https://www.qualtrics.com/community/discussion/comment/32778#Comment_32778The code is JavaScript. You have to add it to a question using "Add JavaScript..."

K
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  • KWright84
  • December 17, 2020

Hi
https://www.qualtrics.com/community/discussion/comment/32778#Comment_32778Hi TomG ,
That was helpful, but I'm still not seeing how that results in the number of days between the date.
var start = new Date(${q://QID61/ChoiceGroup/AllChoicesTextEntry}),
    end   = new Date(),
    diff  = new Date(end - start),
    days  = diff/1000/60/60/24
When I enter this into the JS editor, I keep getting errors.
image.pngI am using the Piped Text option to embed the Question ID into the var start parentheses. I remove the curly bracket, and then it says to remove the :. I remove that, and it says to remove the close curly bracket. It seems like it doesn't want any of the piped text for the question.
All I want is for the question to display a number, like 4 if the last time I was on campus was 12/13/20 and today is 12/17/20. I will then make that number question invisible and only view it as part of the dashboard on the backend.

TomG
Level 8 ●●●●●●●●
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  • TomG
  • Level 8 ●●●●●●●●
  • December 17, 2020

The piped text has to be in quotes, such as "${q://QID61/ChoiceGroup/AllChoicesTextEntry}"

C
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Similar question here except I'd like the difference between dates to be set as embedded data. So in Survey Flow, I created the "Days" embedded data field and applied the following js to my survey question (QID190). However, the "Days" column is not populating when I run preview tests. Can you help me identify my error(s)?
image.png

JR33
QPN Level 2 ●●
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  • JR33
  • QPN Level 2 ●●
  • June 29, 2021

Is there a way to calculate this field with survey data already collected. I would like to know the difference in days between two dates as an indicator in a dashboard ... Thank you

nlanda
S
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  • spreik1
  • May 25, 2022

I'm not a coder, I don't know javascript - but I am pretty savvy and can make things work but maybe the bigger question is why do we need these skills for things like a date field - I recently had to create a date/time field and was looking for someone to provide step by step instructions on how to do that - I got it figure out but why did I have to go through all that effort? I spent way too much time on this - now I need to calculate the number of days between the two fields - again - need to spend way to many hours trying to figure this out. If its a number or date field you should be able to EASILY create a calculation - this isn't rocket science and other survey platforms offer it - so Qualtrics - why can't you create a date field type or a date/time field type for every day users and make things easy?

A
nlanda
Adam_Jermain
TomG
Level 8 ●●●●●●●●
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  • TomG
  • Level 8 ●●●●●●●●
  • May 25, 2022

https://community.qualtrics.com/XMcommunity/discussion/comment/46538#Comment_46538You should submit a product idea and/or vote for existing product ideas that address date calculations.

nlanda
S
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  • spreik1
  • May 26, 2022

TomG - thanks - I've submitted as an product idea

nlanda
Tom_1842
Level 8 ●●●●●●●●
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  • Tom_1842
  • Level 8 ●●●●●●●●
  • May 27, 2022

Hi spreik1 , if you still need, I have a QSF with examples of calculations between 2 date fields in days. Will just want to update the QIDs in the JS and survey flow for what matches your questions.
DateCalculations_Days.qsf

ManuelaPosso13
ManuelaPosso13
QPN Level 2 ●●
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  • ManuelaPosso13
  • QPN Level 2 ●●
  • September 15, 2022

Hi everyone, Is there a way to calculate this field with two embedded fields Like date1 and date2, instead of two questions? Thank you!

JR33
QPN Level 2 ●●
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  • JR33
  • QPN Level 2 ●●
  • September 20, 2022

Hi ManuelaPosso13
Have you test this calculation in your surveyflow with piped text ?
$e{ ${q://QID?(DATE2)/ChoiceTextEntryValue} - ${q://QID(DATE1)/ChoiceTextEntryValue} }

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