Automatically editing formula

**hvreynolds** · 06-03-2008, 09:19 AM

Hi

I have entered a formula to calculate someone's age

=DATEDIF("31/7/1981",$B$1,"y")

- with the B1 cell having todays date (=today)
- 31/7/1981 being a date of birth

I was wondering if there is a way to set the cell up so that when inputting I only having to type in the person's date of birth and then this gets inserted into the correct part of the formula and then the cell shows their age?

I just think this will make inputting a lot simpler and quicker to do, rather than having to edit the actual formula each time.

Does my question make sense?

Thanks very much for your help

Hannah

**NBVC** · 06-03-2008, 09:37 AM

Just replace the hard coded DOB with a cell reference containing that date that you can manipulate....

eg. =DATEDIF($A$1,$B$1,"y") where A1 contains the DOB you can edit.

Note: The $ signs "freeze" the column/row references.. if you are going to copy the formula down/across, take out the $ from before the column/row reference.

**hvreynolds** · 06-03-2008, 10:26 AM

Thanks for your reply.

That way would indeed work, but would involve another column and I want to try and avoid that as I need to fit my worksheet onto a single piece of A4 and hiding and unhiding a column is just as much 'effort' as editing the formula.

Any other ideas?

thanks again

Hannah