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Is there a way to convert formula created dates into Dates so they can be moved in calendar? #support

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Fawcus
4 - Data Explorer
4 - Data Explorer

We have dates being calculated and viewed in Calendar - noob here so that was a big first step. But because these are formulas they cannot be moved around in Calendar View. Is there any way to convert these formula dates into Date Format that Airtable will recognize as a non-formula. We really want to be able to move these in calendar without having to open each record.

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The only way that I’m aware of to do that would be to make a date field and copy the formula-calculated date into it. However, I’m curious what’s prompting you to want to change the calculated dates. Perhaps there’s a deeper solution to be discovered. Could you share more about what exactly you’re doing?

Well, depends on what you mean by ‘converted.’

If you want to use the calculation as a starting point — along the lines of 'calculate earliest possible delivery date as {ShipDate} + {TransitDays}’ — and then allow the record to be changed to meet customer needs, but without ever needing to revisit the calculation ever again, then all you need do is copy the calculated date into an actual date field and use the latter to configure the calendar view. (You would have to perform the copy, either manually or through an integration service such as Zapier or Integromat. If there will never be a need, ever again, to perform that calculation, you can simply change the field type from formula to date.)

If you want to be able to move the records around in Calendar view and update the field by changing inputs to the calculation, then, no, it can’t be done. (Think about it for a moment:: Let’s say I have a calculated date field I use to drive a calendar view, with a formula of DATEADD({StartDate},5,'days'). Assuming Airtable allowed me to do so, if I were to select a record and drag it to a date three days later, what action am I implying Airtable should take: Should {StartDate} be made three days later, potentially causing numerous other records to be recalculated? Or should the number of days being added by DATEADD() be increased from 5 to 8? (And if the latter, should this offset be increased for all records in the table, or just for the record in question — which, by the way, is impossible in Airtable as it now stands.)

Despite how irritating it may appear at times, whenever Airtable doesn’t let you do something that at first glance it appears it should, it generally has a very good reason for not doing so. :winking_face: