Auto Actions calculations with date

I need to calculate with date numbers. This makes it possible to calculate age, but I also need it for something else. However, Auto Actions can only calculate with integer. And dates are not integer.

For example: I can calculate the current year as follows: [cb:parse function="date" date-format="Y"

But how can I convert the result into integer? Other wise, I cannot calculate with it.

The Date format function formats the supplied datetime string to whatever format you're wanting. The Time format function lets you manipulate a date. For just returning the current year for example you'd use CBs standard date substitution for that. For example the below will give you the current year as an integer.

[cb:date format="Y" /]

You can find this substitution in our substitution tutorial below.

www.joomlapolis.com/documentation/279-community-builder/tutorials/18353-using-substitutions-throughout-cb

If you want to get the year from an existing date value you'd use the Date format function for that though. Example as follows.

[cb:parse function="date" date-format="Y" time="false"]DATE_HERE[/cb:parse]

I have already made a field (cb_dateyear) with code

[cb:date format="Y" /]

This looks like an integer, but I cannot make calculations with this field in CB Auto Actions...

What 'type' does this field need? When I choose 'integer', there is no value shown (at least in my profile) and there is also no calculation possible. When I choose 'custom HTML' the right value is shown in the profile, but this value not recognized as valid input in CB Auto Actions.

This simple calculation does not work:

[cb:parse function="math"] [cb_dateyear] - [cb_yearofbirth][/cb:parse]

The field [cb_yearofbirth] is an integer field, that the user had to choose. This works fine. When I subsitute [cb_dateyear] with the number 2020, the result in the calculation is good...

So there is something wrong with the field cb_dateyear and I don't know what.

Do you even need to use cb_dateyear? You should be able to just directly put [cb:date format="Y" /] in your math format function usage.

Yes, this helps! Thank you very much. I hope that I can also use this solutions in the more difficult calculation I need. For now I can go on.

You could try using the clean function which will typecast for you if you run into this issue in the future. Example as follows.

[cb:parse function="clean" method="int"][cb_dateyear][/cb:parse]

That should guarantee it's cast to an integer.