Hi Paul,
You can use a Button dropdown component to achieve this effect. This is how to it:

1. 
   Create two variables (click on the three lines Icon and then select variable) call them start_date and end_date
   
2. 
   Create a Button dropdown component. Give it the following name: Start date: <%= start_date%>
   
3. 
   From the dropdown in the component options select Load Entries.
   
4. 
   Click on the formula icon next to the black box to open the formula editor
   
5. 
   In the formula editor write the following formula:
   

CASE

WHEN DAY("_CEL_P2P_ACTIVITIES".EVENTTIME) < 10 AND MONTH("_CEL_P2P_ACTIVITIES".EVENTTIME) < 10
THEN YEAR("_CEL_P2P_ACTIVITIES".EVENTTIME) || / || 0 || MONTH("_CEL_P2P_ACTIVITIES".EVENTTIME) || / || 0 || DAY("_CEL_P2P_ACTIVITIES".EVENTTIME)
WHEN MONTH("_CEL_P2P_ACTIVITIES".EVENTTIME) < 10
THEN YEAR("_CEL_P2P_ACTIVITIES".EVENTTIME) || / || 0 || MONTH("_CEL_P2P_ACTIVITIES".EVENTTIME) || / || DAY("_CEL_P2P_ACTIVITIES".EVENTTIME)
ELSE YEAR("_CEL_P2P_ACTIVITIES".EVENTTIME) || / || MONTH("_CEL_P2P_ACTIVITIES".EVENTTIME) || / || DAY("_CEL_P2P_ACTIVITIES".EVENTTIME)
END
(Explanation: the dates need to have the structure dd/mm/yyyy so that it can be converted into a time stamp in the filter later. But MONTH(TABLE.COLUMN) returns a single digit number of all months before October so an extra 0 has to be stuck on the month part of the date has two digits for timestamps from the effected months. On the same principle to timestamps that take place before the 10th of the month also need to get an extra 0 added.

1. 
   Back in the component options select the variable start_date in the drop down next to write to variable. Also untick the box next to Allow multiple selections.
   
2. 
   Make a copy this component (right click on the click on the component, select copy component, then right click on some empty space on the analysis sheet and click paste)
   
3. 
   In this copy, change the title to "End date: <%= end_date%> " and change the variable in the drop down next to write to variable to end_date
   

9 Now the following component filter can be added:

FILTER DAYS_BETWEEN(TO_TIMESTAMP(<%= start_date %>, YYYY/MM/DD), _CEL_P2P_ACTIVITIES.EVENTTIME ) >= 0;

FILTER DAYS_BETWEEN("_CEL_P2P_ACTIVITIES".EVENTTIME, TO_TIMESTAMP(<%= end_date %>, YYYY/MM/DD)) >= 0;
(Explanation: TO_TIMESTAMP() converts the variables, which have the type text back to dates. DAYS_BETWEEN() calculates the days between the first date and the second date. If the second date is earlier, than the first it returns a negative number. As only dates are aloud that are after the start date and before the end date the differences must be greater than 0.)
Does this solve your problem? Is there anything else we can help you with?
Best wishes,
Calandra

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Hello Calandra,
This would solve the problem, however it gives the user the Freedom to type in text field. We would rather force the user to pick a date, this also so that the user always picks the right date format, and there is no confusion about this. So your solution works, when we want to compare two components on different dates, however it is not the optimal solution.
Best,
Paul Velthuis

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Hello Paul,
I dont understand what the problem is. Button dropdown components dont allow users to write anything. They can only pick from a predefined list of options. Only Variable Input components allow users to write anything. Could you please send me a screen shot of your implementation to help me identify the problem?
Best wishes,
Calandra

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Hello calandra,
If I am correct you are suggesting to create two Button Dropdown buttons.

1. Comparison date 1
2. Comparison date 2

For time ranges this would mean that I would need a total of 4 Button Dropdown.

1. Comparison start date 1
2. Comparison end date 1
3. Comparison start date 2
4. Comparison end date 2

Thanks for the explanation this would completely work and indeed force users to enter a date.
Best regards,
Paul Velthuis

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Hello Calendra,

I am trying to apply the proposed solution, but am facing a rather strange error, as when i call my variable using TO_TIMESTAMP, an error is returned indicating my variable is actually a FLOAT and not a STRING, which precludes converting it to date.

 

Would you have any suggestion?

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Hello Calendra,

I am trying to apply the proposed solution, but am facing a rather strange error, as when i call my variable using TO_TIMESTAMP, an error is returned indicating my variable is actually a FLOAT and not a STRING, which precludes converting it to date.

 

Would you have any suggestion?

Actually, sometimes all it takes is playing with quote marks:

TO_TIMESTAMP(<%= end_date %>, YYYY/MM/DD)

should be instead:

TO_TIMESTAMP('<%= end_date %>', 'YYYY/MM/DD')

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Create two button dropdowns (Start Date and End Date) and create dynamic variables (<%=start_date_Option1%> and <%=end_date_Option1%>)

 

Load entries by inputting script into dropdown:

TO_STRING ("_CEL_O2C_ACTIVITIES"."EVENTTIME" , FORMAT ( '%Y-%m-%d' ) )

 

When you want to return the date, input script into the component filter:

FILTER "_CEL_O2C_ACTIVITIES"."EVENTTIME" >= {d '<%=start_date_Option1%>' } AND "_CEL_O2C_ACTIVITIES"."EVENTTIME" <= {d '<%=end_date_Option1%>'};

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