This function returns a four-digit year as display value with an underlying numeric value corresponding to a timestamp of the first millisecond of the first day of the year containing date.
Diagram of range of time of the yearname() function.
The yearname() function is different to the year() function as it lets you offset the date you want evaluated and lets you set the first month of the year.
If the first month of the year is not January, the function will return the two four-digit years across the twelve month period that contain the date. For example, if the start of the year is April and the date being evaluated is 06/30/2020, the result returned would be 2020-2021.
Diagram of yearname() function with April set as the first month of the year.
Syntax:
YearName(date[, period_no[, first_month_of_year]] )
Return data type: dual
| Argument | Description |
|---|---|
| date | The date or timestamp to evaluate. |
| period_no | period_no is an integer, where the value 0 indicates the year which contains date. Negative values in period_no indicate preceding years and positive values indicate succeeding years. |
| first_month_of_year | If you want to work with (fiscal) years not starting in January, indicate a value between 2 and 12 in first_month_of_year. The display value will then be a string showing two years. |
You can use the following values to set the first month of year in the first_month_of_year argument:
| Month | Value |
|---|---|
| February | 2 |
| March | 3 |
| April | 4 |
| May | 5 |
| June | 6 |
| July | 7 |
| August | 8 |
| September | 9 |
| October | 10 |
| November | 11 |
| December | 12 |
When to use it
The yearname() function is useful for comparing aggregations by year. For example, if you want to see the total sales of products by year.
These dimensions can be created in the load script by using the function to create a field in a Master Calendar table. They can also be created in a chart as calculated dimensions
Regional settings
Unless otherwise specified, the examples in this topic use the following date format: MM/DD/YYYY. The date format is specified in the SET DateFormat statement in your data load script. The default date formatting may be different in your system, due to your regional settings and other factors. You can change the formats in the examples below to suit your requirements. Or you can change the formats in your load script to match these examples. For more information, see Modifying regional settings for apps and scripts.
Default regional settings in apps are based on the user profile. These regional format settings are not related to the language displayed in the Qlik Cloud user interface. Qlik Cloud will be displayed in the same language as the browser you are using.
If you are an app creator, you can set the default region for apps you create. For more information, see Setting your preferred regional settings for creating apps and scripts in Qlik Cloud Analytics.
| Example | Result |
|---|---|
| yearname('10/19/2001') | Returns '2001.' |
| yearname('10/19/2001',-1) | Returns '2000.' |
| yearname('10/19/2001',0,4) | Returns '2001-2002.' |
| Topic | Description |
|---|---|
| year - script and chart function | This function returns an integer representing the year when the expression is interpreted as a date according to the standard number interpretation. |
Example 1 – No additional arguments
Overview
Open the Data load editor and add the load script below to a new tab.
The load script contains:
-
A dataset containing a set of transactions between 2020 and 2022 is loaded into a table called ‘Transactions’.
-
The DateFormat system variable which is set to ‘MM/DD/YYYY’.
-
A preceding load that uses the yearname() and which is set as the year_name field.
Load script
SET DateFormat='MM/DD/YYYY';
Transactions:
Load
*,
yearname(date) as year_name
;
Load
*
Inline
[
id,date,amount
8188,'01/13/2020',37.23
8189,'02/26/2020',17.17
8190,'03/27/2020',88.27
8191,'04/16/2020',57.42
8192,'05/21/2020',53.80
8193,'08/14/2020',82.06
8194,'10/07/2020',40.39
8195,'12/05/2020',87.21
8196,'01/22/2021',95.93
8197,'02/03/2021',45.89
8198,'03/17/2021',36.23
8199,'04/23/2021',25.66
8200,'05/04/2021',82.77
8201,'06/30/2021',69.98
8202,'07/26/2021',76.11
8203,'12/27/2021',25.12
8204,'06/06/2022',46.23
8205,'07/18/2022',84.21
8206,'11/14/2022',96.24
8207,'12/12/2022',67.67
]; Results
Load the data and open a sheet. Create a new table and add these fields as dimensions:
-
date
-
year_name
| date | year_name |
|---|---|
| 01/13/2020 | 2020 |
| 02/26/2020 | 2020 |
| 03/27/2020 | 2020 |
| 04/16/2020 | 2020 |
| 05/21/2020 | 2020 |
| 08/14/2020 | 2020 |
| 10/07/2020 | 2020 |
| 12/05/2020 | 2020 |
| 01/22/2021 | 2021 |
| 02/03/2021 | 2021 |
| 03/17/2021 | 2021 |
| 04/23/2021 | 2021 |
| 05/04/2021 | 2021 |
| 06/30/2021 | 2021 |
| 07/26/2021 | 2021 |
| 12/27/2021 | 2021 |
| 06/06/2022 | 2022 |
| 07/18/2022 | 2022 |
| 11/14/2022 | 2022 |
| 12/12/2022 | 2022 |
The ‘year_name’ field is created in the preceding load statement by using the yearname() function and passing the date field as the function’s argument.
The yearname() function identifies which year the date value falls into and returns this as a four-digit year value.
Diagram of yearname() function that shows 2021 as the year value.
Example 2 – period_no
Overview
Open the Data load editor and add the load script below to a new tab.
The load script contains:
-
A dataset containing a set of transactions between 2020 and 2022 is loaded into a table called ‘Transactions’.
-
The DateFormat system variable which is set to ‘MM/DD/YYYY’.
-
A preceding load that uses the yearname() and which is set as the year_name field.
Load script
SET DateFormat='MM/DD/YYYY';
Transactions:
Load
*,
yearname(date,-1) as prior_year_name
;
Load
*
Inline
[
id,date,amount
8188,'01/13/2020',37.23
8189,'02/26/2020',17.17
8190,'03/27/2020',88.27
8191,'04/16/2020',57.42
8192,'05/21/2020',53.80
8193,'08/14/2020',82.06
8194,'10/07/2020',40.39
8195,'12/05/2020',87.21
8196,'01/22/2021',95.93
8197,'02/03/2021',45.89
8198,'03/17/2021',36.23
8199,'04/23/2021',25.66
8200,'05/04/2021',82.77
8201,'06/30/2021',69.98
8202,'07/26/2021',76.11
8203,'12/27/2021',25.12
8204,'06/06/2022',46.23
8205,'07/18/2022',84.21
8206,'11/14/2022',96.24
8207,'12/12/2022',67.67
]; Results
Load the data and open a sheet. Create a new table and add these fields as dimensions:
-
date
-
prior_year_name
| date | prior_year_name |
|---|---|
| 01/13/2020 | 2019 |
| 02/26/2020 | 2019 |
| 03/27/2020 | 2019 |
| 04/16/2020 | 2019 |
| 05/21/2020 | 2019 |
| 08/14/2020 | 2019 |
| 10/07/2020 | 2019 |
| 12/05/2020 | 2019 |
| 01/22/2021 | 2020 |
| 02/03/2021 | 2020 |
| 03/17/2021 | 2020 |
| 04/23/2021 | 2020 |
| 05/04/2021 | 2020 |
| 06/30/2021 | 2020 |
| 07/26/2021 | 2020 |
| 12/27/2021 | 2020 |
| 06/06/2022 | 2021 |
| 07/18/2022 | 2021 |
| 11/14/2022 | 2021 |
| 12/12/2022 | 2021 |
Because a period_no of -1 is used as the offset argument in the yearname() function, the function first identifies the year that the transactions take place in. The function then shifts one year prior and returns the resulting year.
Diagram of yearname() function with the period_no set -1.
Example 3 – first_month_of_year
Overview
Open the Data load editor and add the load script below to a new tab.
The load script contains:
-
The same dataset from the first example.
-
The DateFormat system variable which is set to ‘MM/DD/YYYY’.
-
A preceding load that uses the yearname() and which is set as the year_name field.
Load script
SET DateFormat='MM/DD/YYYY';
Transactions:
Load
*,
yearname(date,0,4) as year_name
;
Load
*
Inline
[
id,date,amount
8188,'01/13/2020',37.23
8189,'02/26/2020',17.17
8190,'03/27/2020',88.27
8191,'04/16/2020',57.42
8192,'05/21/2020',53.80
8193,'08/14/2020',82.06
8194,'10/07/2020',40.39
8195,'12/05/2020',87.21
8196,'01/22/2021',95.93
8197,'02/03/2021',45.89
8198,'03/17/2021',36.23
8199,'04/23/2021',25.66
8200,'05/04/2021',82.77
8201,'06/30/2021',69.98
8202,'07/26/2021',76.11
8203,'12/27/2021',25.12
8204,'06/06/2022',46.23
8205,'07/18/2022',84.21
8206,'11/14/2022',96.24
8207,'12/12/2022',67.67
];Results
Load the data and open a sheet. Create a new table and add these fields as dimensions:
-
id
-
date
-
year_name
| date | year_name |
|---|---|
| 01/13/2020 | 2019-2020 |
| 02/26/2020 | 2019-2020 |
| 03/27/2020 | 2019-2020 |
| 04/16/2020 | 2020-2021 |
| 05/21/2020 | 2020-2021 |
| 08/14/2020 | 2020-2021 |
| 10/07/2020 | 2020-2021 |
| 12/05/2020 | 2020-2021 |
| 01/22/2021 | 2020-2021 |
| 02/03/2021 | 2020-2021 |
| 03/17/2021 | 2020-2021 |
| 04/23/2021 | 2021-2022 |
| 05/04/2021 | 2021-2022 |
| 06/30/2021 | 2021-2022 |
| 07/26/2021 | 2021-2022 |
| 12/27/2021 | 2021-2022 |
| 06/06/2022 | 2022-2023 |
| 07/18/2022 | 2022-2023 |
| 11/14/2022 | 2022-2023 |
| 12/12/2022 | 2022-2023 |
Because the first_month_of_year argument of 4 is used in the yearname() function, the start of the year moves from January 1 to April 1. Therefore, each twelve month period crosses two calendar years and the yearname() function returns the two four-digit years for dates evaluated.
Transaction 8198 takes place on March 17, 2021. The yearname() function sets the beginning of the year on April 1 and the ending on March 30. Therefore, transaction 8198 occurred in the year period from April 1, 2020 and March 30, 2021. As a result, the yearname() function returns the value 2020-2021.
Diagram of yearname() function with March set as the first month of the year.
Example 4 – Chart object example
Overview
Open the Data load editor and add the load script below to a new tab.
The load script contains:
-
The same dataset from the first example.
-
The DateFormat system variable which is set to ‘MM/DD/YYYY’.
However, the field that returns the year that the transaction took place in is created as a measure in a chart object.
Load script
SET DateFormat='MM/DD/YYYY';
Transactions:
Load
*
Inline
[
id,date,amount
8188,'01/13/2020',37.23
8189,'02/26/2020',17.17
8190,'03/27/2020',88.27
8191,'04/16/2020',57.42
8192,'05/21/2020',53.80
8193,'08/14/2020',82.06
8194,'10/07/2020',40.39
8195,'12/05/2020',87.21
8196,'01/22/2021',95.93
8197,'02/03/2021',45.89
8198,'03/17/2021',36.23
8199,'04/23/2021',25.66
8200,'05/04/2021',82.77
8201,'06/30/2021',69.98
8202,'07/26/2021',76.11
8203,'12/27/2021',25.12
8204,'06/06/2022',46.23
8205,'07/18/2022',84.21
8206,'11/14/2022',96.24
8207,'12/12/2022',67.67
]; Results
Load the data and open a sheet. Create a new table and add this field as a dimension:
date
To calculate the ‘year_name’ field, create this measure:
=yearname(date)
| date | =yearname(date) |
|---|---|
| 01/13/2020 | 2020 |
| 02/26/2020 | 2020 |
| 03/27/2020 | 2020 |
| 04/16/2020 | 2020 |
| 05/21/2020 | 2020 |
| 08/14/2020 | 2020 |
| 10/07/2020 | 2020 |
| 12/05/2020 | 2020 |
| 01/22/2021 | 2021 |
| 02/03/2021 | 2021 |
| 03/17/2021 | 2021 |
| 04/23/2021 | 2021 |
| 05/04/2021 | 2021 |
| 06/30/2021 | 2021 |
| 07/26/2021 | 2021 |
| 12/27/2021 | 2021 |
| 06/06/2022 | 2022 |
| 07/18/2022 | 2022 |
| 11/14/2022 | 2022 |
| 12/12/2022 | 2022 |
The ‘year_name’ measure is created in the chart object using the yearname() function and passing the date field as the function’s argument.
The yearname() function identifies which year the date value falls into and returns this as a four-digit year value.
Diagram of yearname() function with 2021 as the year value.
