COLDATE: Show a column’s date

Use COLDATE to add a column’s date to the text shown in a formula cell. You can choose a column directly, or show the date of the column selected by MAX, MIN or another supported selection function.

For example, show each student’s highest test grade together with the date of that test: 9 12 Oct 2026.

1. Start with three dated tests

Place three test columns directly inside a folder called Tests. All grades in this example are out of 10. Set each date in the column’s header properties.

COLDATE reads the column’s date. It does not read a date entered in a student’s cell, the date a grade was edited, or today’s date.

2. Show the date of the highest grade

Add a formula column outside Tests. Insert the Tests folder with the column selector and build:

MAX(FOLDER(Tests)) + COLDATE(2)

Tests represents the folder reference inserted with the selector; do not type the example name as plain text. FOLDER supplies its direct child columns, and MAX selects the highest grade for the current student. COLDATE(2) appends the selected column’s date.

• Alex: 9 12 Oct 2026 — Test 2 supplies the highest grade.
• Sam: 8 5 Oct 2026 — Test 1 supplies the highest grade.
• Taylor: 7 12 Oct 2026 — Tests 2 and 3 tie; the first matching column in the supplied order is selected.

To show the date of the lowest grade instead, replace MAX with MIN:

MIN(FOLDER(Tests)) + COLDATE(2)

For Alex, the result is 6 5 Oct 2026. Keep COLDATE after the selection function whose date you want to use.

3. Choose a date style

Use a constant from 0 to 3 to choose how the selected date is printed. These examples use 12 October 2026 with English date conventions.

Styles 1–3 follow your language and region for month names, weekday names and date order. The printed result can therefore differ from these examples.

4. Show a specific column’s date

Select an individual column instead of relying on a previous selection:

COLDATE(Test 2)
COLDATE(Test 2, 3)

The first uses iDoceo’s configured format. The second prints Test 2’s date in the full style, for example Monday, 12 October 2026. An explicit column’s date is available even when the student’s cell in that column is empty.

To keep its grade visible as well, use:

Test 2 + COLDATE(Test 2, 2)

For Alex, this prints 9 12 Oct 2026. The date is added to the printed result as text; it is not added to the numeric grade.

Things to remember

• No date means no added text. If the selected column has no header date, COLDATE adds nothing. It does not substitute another column’s date.
• A selection belongs to this student’s calculation. COLDATE() needs a supported selector earlier in the same formula. It does not reuse a selection from another row or formula cell.
• Use a function that selects one source column. MAX, MIN, COLUMN_RECENT, COLUMNRESULT_MAX, COLUMNRESULT_RECENT, TIMEMAX and TIMEMIN record a selection. SUM and averages do not make a new single-column selection.
• Use column values for the selection. A winning literal number or a combined expression such as Test 1 + Test 2 has no single source column whose date can be shown.
• COLDATE adds text. Existing printed text is preserved. Calling it on its own can show just the date; it supplies no numeric grade.
• Use only styles 0, 1, 2 or 3. Other style values add no date.

Related guides: PICKEDCOLUMN: Reuse the selected column and FOLDER: Use a folder in a formula.