weekname - script and chart function

This function returns a value showing the year and week number with an underlying numeric value corresponding to a timestamp of the first millisecond of the first day of the week containing date.

Syntax:

WeekName(date[, period_no [, first_week_day [, broken_weeks [, reference_day]]]])

The weekname() function determines which week the date falls into and returns the week number and year of that week. The first day of the week is determined by the FirstWeekDay system variable. However, you can also change the first day of the week by using the first_week_day argument in the weekname() function.

In Qlik Sense, the regional settings are fetched when the app is created, and the corresponding settings are stored in the script as environment variables.

A North American app developer often gets Set BrokenWeeks=1; in the script, corresponding to broken weeks. A European app developer often gets Set BrokenWeeks=0; in the script, corresponding to unbroken weeks.

If your application uses broken weeks, the week number count begins on the January 1 and ends on the day prior to the FirstWeekDay system variable regardless of how many days have occurred.

However, if your application is using unbroken weeks, week 1 can begin in the previous year or in the first few days in January. This depends on how you use the ReferenceDay and FirstWeekDay system variables.

Example of Weekname function
Date	ISO week name	US week name
Sat 2020 Dec 26	2020/52	2020/52
Sun 2020 Dec 27	2020/52	2020/53
Mon 2020 Dec 28	2020/53	2020/53
Tue 2020 Dec 29	2020/53	2020/53
Wed 2020 Dec 30	2020/53	2020/53
Thu 2020 Dec 31	2020/53	2020/53
Fri 2021 Jan 1	2020/53	2021/01
Sat 2021 Jan 2	2020/53	2021/01
Sun 2021 Jan 3	2020/53	2021/02
Mon 2021 Jan 4	2021/01	2021/02
Tue 2021 Jan 5	2021/01	2021/02

When to use it

The weekname() function is useful for when you would like to compare aggregations by weeks.

For example, if you want to see the total sales of products by week. To maintain consistency with the BrokenWeeks environment variable in the application, use weekname() instead of lunarweekname(). If the application is using unbroken weeks, week 1 may contain dates from December of the previous year or exclude dates in January of the current year. If the application is using broken weeks, week 1 may contain less than seven days.

Return data type: dual

Arguments
Argument	Description
timestamp	The date or timestamp to evaluate.
period_no	shift is an integer, where the value 0 indicates the week which contains date. Negative values in shift indicate preceding weeks and positive values indicate succeeding weeks.
first_week_day	Specifies the day on which the week starts. If omitted, the value of variable FirstWeekDay is used. The possible values first_week_day are 0 for Monday, 1 for Tuesday, 2 for Wednesday, 3 for Thursday, 4 for Friday, 5 for Saturday, and 6 for Sunday. For more information about the system variable, see FirstWeekDay.
broken_weeks	If you don't specify broken_weeks, the value of variable BrokenWeeks will be used to define if weeks are broken or not. For more information about the system variable, see BrokenWeeks
reference_day	If you don't specify reference_day, the value of variable ReferenceDay will be used to define which day in January to set as reference day to define week 1. By default, Qlik Sense functions use 4 as the reference day. This means that week 1 must contain January 4, or put differently, that week 1 must always have at least 4 days in January. For more information about the system variable, see ReferenceDay

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.

Default regional settings in apps are based on the regional system settings of the computer or server where Qlik Sense is installed. If the Qlik Sense server you are accessing is set to Sweden, the Data load editor will use Swedish regional settings for dates, time, and currency. These regional format settings are not related to the language displayed in the Qlik Sense user interface. Qlik Sense will be displayed in the same language as the browser you are using.

The examples below assume:

Set FirstWeekDay=0; Set BrokenWeeks=0; Set ReferenceDay=4;

Function examples
Example	Result
weekname('01/12/2013')	Returns 2013/02.
weekname('01/12/2013', -1)	Returns 2013/01.
weekname('01/12/2013', 0, 1)	Returns 2013/02.

Example 1 – Date with 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 for the last week of 2021 and first two weeks of 2022 is loaded into a table called ‘Transactions’.
The DateFormat system variable which is set to the MM/DD/YYYY format.
The BrokenWeeks system variable which is set to 1.
The FirstWeekDay system variable which is set to 6.
A preceding load which contains the following:
- The weekday() function which is set as the field, ‘week_number’, that returns the year and week number when the transactions took place.
- The weekname() function which is set as the field called ‘week_day’, to show the weekday value of each transaction date.

Load script


SET BrokenWeeks=1; 
SET DateFormat='MM/DD/YYYY'; 
SET FirstWeekDay=6; 

Transactions: 
   Load 
     *, 
     WeekDay(date) as week_day, 
     Weekname(date) as week_number 
     ; 
Load 
* 
Inline  
[ 
id,date,amount 
8183,12/27/2021,58.27 
8184,12/28/2021,67.42 
8185,12/29/2021,23.80 
8186,12/30/2021,82.06 
8187,12/31/2021,40.56 
8188,01/01/2022,37.23 
8189,01/02/2022,17.17 
8190,01/03/2022,88.27 
8191,01/04/2022,57.42 
8192,01/05/2022,53.80 
8193,01/06/2022,82.06 
8194,01/07/2022,40.56 
8195,01/08/2022,53.67 
8196,01/09/2022,26.63 
8197,01/10/2022,72.48 
8198,01/11/2022,18.37 
8199,01/12/2022,45.26 
8200,01/13/2022,58.23 
8201,01/14/2022,18.52 
];

Results

Load the data and open a sheet. Create a new table and add these fields as dimensions:

id
date
week_day
week_number

Results table
id	date	week_day	week_number
8183	12/27/2021	Mon	2021/53
8184	12/28/2021	Tue	2021/53
8185	12/29/2021	Wed	2021/53
8186	12/30/2021	Thu	2021/53
8187	12/31/2021	Fri	2021/53
8188	01/01/2022	Sat	2022/01
8189	01/02/2022	Sun	2022/02
8190	01/03/2022	Mon	2022/02
8191	01/04/2022	Tue	2022/02
8192	01/05/2022	Wed	2022/02
8193	01/06/2022	Thu	2022/02
8194	01/07/2022	Fri	2022/02
8195	01/08/2022	Sat	2022/02
8196	01/09/2022	Sun	2022/03
8197	01/10/2022	Mon	2022/03
8198	01/11/2022	Tue	2022/03
8199	01/12/2022	Wed	2022/03
8200	01/13/2022	Thu	2022/03
8201	01/14/2022	Fri	2022/03

The ‘week_number’ field is created in the preceding load statement by using the weekname() function and passing the date field as the function’s argument.

The weekname() function initially identifies which week the date value falls into and returns the week number count and the year the transaction takes place.

The FirstWeekDay system variable sets Sunday as the first day of the week. The BrokenWeeks system variable sets the application to use broken weeks, meaning that week 1 will begin on January 1.

Diagram that shows how the weekname() function identifies the week number and year in which a transaction takes place. — Diagram of weekname() function with the default variables.

Week 1 begins on January 1, which is a Saturday, and therefore transactions occurring on this date return the value 2022/01 (the year and week number).

Diagram that shows how the weekname() function identifies the week number in which a transaction 8192 took place. — Diagram of weekname() function identifying the week number of transaction 8192.

Because the application is using broken weeks and the first weekday is Sunday, transactions occurring from January 2 to January 8 return the value 2022/02 (week number 2 in 2022.) An example of this would be transaction 8192 which took place on January 5 and returns the value 2022/02 for the ‘week_number’ field.

Example 2 – period_no

Overview

The same dataset and scenario as the first example are used.

However, in this example, the task is to create a field, ‘previous_week_number’, that returns the year, and week number, prior to when the transactions took place.

Open the Data load editor and add the following load script to a new tab.

Load script

SET BrokenWeeks=1; 
SET FirstWeekDay=6; 
						
Transactions: 
   Load 
     *, 
     weekname(date,-1) as previous_week_number 
     ; 
Load 
* 
Inline  
[ 
id,date,amount 
8183,12/27/2021,58.27 
8184,12/28/2021,67.42 
8185,12/29/2021,23.80 
8186,12/30/2021,82.06 
8187,12/31/2021,40.56 
8188,01/01/2022,37.23 
8189,01/02/2022,17.17 
8190,01/03/2022,88.27 
8191,01/04/2022,57.42 
8192,01/05/2022,53.80 
8193,01/06/2022,82.06 
8194,01/07/2022,40.56 
8195,01/08/2022,53.67 
8196,01/09/2022,26.63 
8197,01/10/2022,72.48 
8198,01/11/2022,18.37 
8199,01/12/2022,45.26 
8200,01/13/2022,58.23 
8201,01/14/2022,18.52 
];

Results

Load the data and open a sheet. Create a new table and add these fields as dimensions:

id
date
week_day
week_number

Results table
id	date	week_day	week_number
8183	12/27/2021	Mon	2021/52
8184	12/28/2021	Tue	2021/52
8185	12/29/2021	Wed	2021/52
8186	12/30/2021	Thu	2021/52
8187	12/31/2021	Fri	2021/52
8188	01/01/2022	Sat	2021/52
8189	01/02/2022	Sun	2021/53
8190	01/03/2022	Mon	2021/53
8191	01/04/2022	Tue	2021/53
8192	01/05/2022	Wed	2021/53
8193	01/06/2022	Thu	2021/53
8194	01/07/2022	Fri	2021/53
8195	01/08/2022	Sat	2022/01
8196	01/09/2022	Sun	2022/02
8197	01/10/2022	Mon	2022/02
8198	01/11/2022	Tue	2022/02
8199	01/12/2022	Wed	2022/02
8200	01/13/2022	Thu	2022/02
8201	01/14/2022	Fri	2022/02

Because a period_no of -1 is used as the offset argument in the weekname() function, the function first identifies the week that the transactions take place in. It then looks one week prior and identifies the first millisecond of that week.

Diagram that shows how the period_no offset of negative one makes the weekname() function retreive the week number of the previous week. — Diagram of weekname() function with a period_no offset of -1.

Transaction 8192 took place on January 5, 2022. The weekname() function looks one week prior, December 30, 2021, and returns the week number and year for that date – 2021/53.

Example 3 – first_week_day

Overview

The same dataset and scenario as the first example are used.

However, in this example, the company policy is for the work week to begin on Tuesday.

Open the Data load editor and add the following load script to a new tab.

Load script

SET BrokenWeeks=1; 
SET DateFormat='MM/DD/YYYY'; 

Transactions: 
   Load 
     *, 
     weekday(date) as week_day, 
     weekname(date,0,1) as week_number 
     ; 
Load 
* 
Inline  
[ 
id,date,amount 
8183,12/27/2021,58.27 
8184,12/28/2021,67.42 
8185,12/29/2021,23.80 
8186,12/30/2021,82.06 
8187,12/31/2021,40.56 
8188,01/01/2022,37.23 
8189,01/02/2022,17.17 
8190,01/03/2022,88.27 
8191,01/04/2022,57.42 
8192,01/05/2022,53.80 
8193,01/06/2022,82.06 
8194,01/07/2022,40.56 
8195,01/08/2022,53.67 
8196,01/09/2022,26.63 
8197,01/10/2022,72.48 
8198,01/11/2022,18.37 
8199,01/12/2022,45.26 
8200,01/13/2022,58.23 
8201,01/14/2022,18.52 
];

Results

Load the data and open a sheet. Create a new table and add these fields as dimensions:

id
date
week_day
week_number

Results table
id	date	week_day	week_number
8183	12/27/2021	Mon	2021/52
8184	12/28/2021	Tue	2021/53
8185	12/29/2021	Wed	2021/53
8186	12/30/2021	Thu	2021/53
8187	12/31/2021	Fri	2021/53
8188	01/01/2022	Sat	2022/01
8189	01/02/2022	Sun	2022/01
8190	01/03/2022	Mon	2022/01
8191	01/04/2022	Tue	2022/02
8192	01/05/2022	Wed	2022/02
8193	01/06/2022	Thu	2022/02
8194	01/07/2022	Fri	2022/02
8195	01/08/2022	Sat	2022/02
8196	01/09/2022	Sun	2022/02
8197	01/10/2022	Mon	2022/02
8198	01/11/2022	Tue	2022/03
8199	01/12/2022	Wed	2022/03
8200	01/13/2022	Thu	2022/03
8201	01/14/2022	Fri	2022/03

Diagram that shows how the weekname() function works when Tuesday is set as the first day of week. — Diagram of weekname() function with Tuesday as the first day of the week.

Because the first_week_date argument of 1 is used in the weekname() function, it uses Tuesday as the first day of the week. The function therefore determines that week 53 of 2021 begins on Tuesday December 28; and, due to the application using broken weeks, week 1 begins on January 1, 2022, and ends on the last millisecond of Monday January 3, 2022.

Diagram that shows how setting Tuesday as the first day of the week makes the weekname() function return a different week number for transaction 8192. — Diagram showing week number of transaction 8192 with Tuesday as the first day of week.

Transaction 8192 took place on January 5, 2022. Therefore, using a first_week_day parameter of Tuesday, the weekname() function returns the value 2022/02 for the ‘week_number’ field.

Example 4 – Chart object example

Overview

The same dataset and scenario as the first example are used.

However, in this example, the dataset is unchanged and loaded into the application. The calculation that returns the year number of the week for when the transactions took place is created as a measure in a chart object of the application.

Load script

SET BrokenWeeks=1; 
Transactions: 
Load 
* 
Inline  
[ 
id,date,amount 
8183,12/27/2021,58.27 
8184,12/28/2021,67.42 
8185,12/29/2021,23.80 
8186,12/30/2021,82.06 
8187,12/31/2021,40.56 
8188,01/01/2022,37.23 
8189,01/02/2022,17.17 
8190,01/03/2022,88.27 
8191,01/04/2022,57.42 
8192,01/05/2022,53.80 
8193,01/06/2022,82.06 
8194,01/07/2022,40.56 
8195,01/08/2022,53.67 
8196,01/09/2022,26.63 
8197,01/10/2022,72.48 
8198,01/11/2022,18.37 
8199,01/12/2022,45.26 
8200,01/13/2022,58.23 
8201,01/14/2022,18.52 
];

Results

Load the data and open a sheet. Create a new table and add these fields as dimensions:

id
date
=week_day (date)

To calculate the start of the week that a transaction takes place in, create the following measure:

=weekname(date)

Results table
id	date	=weekday(date)	=weekname(date)
8183	12/27/2021	Mon	2021/53
8184	12/28/2021	Tue	2021/53
8185	12/29/2021	Wed	2021/53
8186	12/30/2021	Thu	2021/53
8187	12/31/2021	Fri	2021/53
8188	01/01/2022	Sat	2022/01
8189	01/02/2022	Sun	2022/02
8190	01/03/2022	Mon	2022/02
8191	01/04/2022	Tue	2022/02
8192	01/05/2022	Wed	2022/02
8193	01/06/2022	Thu	2022/02
8194	01/07/2022	Fri	2022/02
8195	01/08/2022	Sat	2022/02
8196	01/09/2022	Sun	2022/03
8197	01/10/2022	Mon	2022/03
8198	01/11/2022	Tue	2022/03
8199	01/12/2022	Wed	2022/03
8200	01/13/2022	Thu	2022/03
8201	01/14/2022	Fri	2022/03

The ‘week_number’ field is created as a measure in the chart object by using the weekname() function and passing the date field as the function’s argument.

The weekname() function initially identifies which week the date value falls into and returns the week number count and the year that the transaction takes place.

The FirstWeekDay system variable sets Sunday as the first day of the week. The BrokenWeeks system variable sets the application to use broken weeks, meaning that week 1 begins on January 1.

Diagram that shows the week 1 begins on January 1 and Sunday as the first day of the week. — Diagram showing week number with Sunday as the first day of the week.

Diagram that shows transaction 8192 takes place in week 2. — Diagram showing that transaction 8192 took place in week number two.

Because the application is using broken weeks and the first weekday is Sunday, transactions occurring from January 2 to January 8 return the value 2022/02, week number 2 in 2022. Note that transaction 8192 took place on January 5 and returns the value 2022/02 for the ‘week_number’ field.

Example 5 – Scenario

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 for the last week of 2019 and first two weeks of 2020 is loaded into a table called ‘Transactions’.
The BrokenWeeks system variable which is set to 0.
The ReferenceDay system variable which is set to 2.
The DateFormat system variable which is set to the MM/DD/YYYY format.

Load script

SET BrokenWeeks=0;  
SET ReferenceDay=2;  
SET DateFormat='MM/DD/YYYY'; 

Transactions: 
Load 
* 
Inline  
[ 
id,date,amount 
8183,12/27/2019,58.27 
8184,12/28/2019,67.42 
8185,12/29/2019,23.80 
8186,12/30/2019,82.06 
8187,12/31/2019,40.56 
8188,01/01/2020,37.23 
8189,01/02/2020,17.17 
8190,01/03/2020,88.27 
8191,01/04/2020,57.42 
8192,01/05/2020,53.80 
8193,01/06/2020,82.06 
8194,01/07/2020,40.56 
8195,01/08/2020,53.67 
8196,01/09/2020,26.63 
8197,01/10/2020,72.48 
8198,01/11/2020,18.37 
8199,01/12/2020,45.26 
8200,01/13/2020,58.23 
8201,01/14/2020,18.52 
];

Results

Load the data and open a sheet. Create a new table.

Create a calculated dimension using the following expression:

=weekname(date)

To calculate total sales create the following aggregation measure:

=sum(amount)

Set the measure’s Number Formatting to Money.

Results table
weekname(date)	=sum(amount)
2019/52	$125.69
2020/01	$346.51
2020/02	$347.57
2020/03	$122.01

To demonstrate the results of using the weekname() function in this scenario, add the following field as a dimension:

date

Results table with date field
weekname(date)	date	=sum(amount)
2019/52	12/27/2019	$58.27
2019/52	12/28/2019	$67.42
2020/01	12/29/2019	$23.80
2020/01	12/30/2019	$82.06
2020/01	12/31/2019	$40.56
2020/01	01/01/2020	$37.23
2020/01	01/02/2020	$17.17
2020/01	01/03/2020	$88.27
2020/01	01/04/2020	$57.42
2020/02	01/05/2020	$53.80
2020/02	01/06/2020	$82.06
2020/02	01/07/2020	$40.56
2020/02	01/08/2020	$53.67
2020/02	01/09/2020	$26.63
2020/02	01/10/2020	$72.48
2020/02	01/11/2020	$18.37
2020/03	01/12/2020	$45.26
2020/03	01/13/2020	$58.23
2020/03	01/14/2020	$18.52

Because the application uses unbroken weeks, and week 1 requires a minimum of two days in January because of the ReferenceDay system variable, week 1 of 2020 includes transactions from December 29, 2019.

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