# monthsend - script and chart function

This function returns a value corresponding to a timestamp of the last millisecond of the month, bi-month, quarter, four-month period, or half-year containing a base date. It is also possible to find the timestamp for a previous or following time period.

Syntax:

MonthsEnd(n\_months, date[, period\_no [, first\_month\_of\_year]])

**Return data type:** dual

Arguments:

MonthsEnd arguments

| Argument | Description |
| --- | --- |
| n\_months | The number of months that defines the period. An integer or expression that resolves to an integer that must be one of: 1 (equivalent to the inmonth() function), 2 (bi-month), 3 (equivalent to the inquarter() function), 4 (four-month period), or 6 (half year). |
| date | The date to evaluate. |
| period\_no | The period can be offset by period\_no, an integer, or expression resolving to an integer, where the value 0 indicates the period that contains base\_date. Negative values in period\_no indicate preceding periods and<br>positive values indicate succeeding periods. |
| first\_month\_of\_year | If you<br>want to work with (fiscal) years not starting in January, indicate<br>a value between 2 and 12 in first\_month\_of\_year. |

Examples and results:

These examples use the date format DD/MM/YYYY. The date format is specified in the SET DateFormat statement at the top of your load script. Change the format in the examples to suit your requirements.

Example 1:

`monthsend(4, '19/07/2013')`

Returns 31/08/2013.

Example 2:

`monthsend(4, '19/10/2013', -1)`

Returns 31/08/2013.

Example 3:

`monthsend(4, '19/10/2013', 0, 2)`

Returns 31/01/2014.  
Because the start of the year becomes month 2.

Example 4:

Add the example script to your document and run it. Then add, at least, the fields listed in the results column to a sheet in your document to see the result.

This example finds the end of the final day of the bi-month period for each invoice date, shifted forwards by one bi-month period.

`TempTable:` `LOAD RecNo() as InvID, * Inline [` `InvDate` `28/03/2012` `10/12/2012` `5/2/2013` `31/3/2013` `19/5/2013` `15/9/2013` `11/12/2013` `2/3/2014` `14/5/2014` `13/6/2014` `7/7/2014` `4/8/2014` `];` ` ` `InvoiceData:` `LOAD *,` `MonthsEnd(2, InvDate,  1) AS BiMthsEnd` `Resident TempTable;`

`Drop table TempTable;`

The resulting table contains the original dates and a column with the return value of the MonthsEnd() function.

Example 4 results

| InvDate | BiMthsEnd |
| --- | --- |
| 28/03/2012 | 30/06/2012 |
| 10/12/2012 | 28/02/2013 |
| 5/2/2013 | 30/04/2013 |
| 31/3/2013 | 30/06/2013 |
| 19/5/2013 | 31/08/2013 |
| 15/9/2013 | 31/12/2013 |
| 11/12/2013 | 28/02/2014 |
| 2/3/2014 | 30/06/2014 |
| 14/5/2014 | 31/08/2014 |
| 13/6/2014 | 31/08/2014 |
| 7/7/2014 | 31/10/2014 |
| 4/8/2014 | 31/10/2014 |