How to Get Outlook to Count the Number of Days Between Two Calendar Dates

One of Outlook's strongest features is the diverse management capabilities it provides for its various calendar-based items. With minimal effort, Outlook can be used to create appointments, schedule meetings, establish recurring events and set pop-up meeting reminders. There is another baked-in feature of Outlook often referred to as "smart-date logic," which even power users may not be aware of. Smart-date logic involves a hidden Outlook feature that may make it just a little easier for some to quickly enter or revise the dates of any Outlook calendar item. For example, rather than entering a specific calendar day in the future to edit a scheduled meeting, a text command can be entered to adjust the meeting a specific number of days instead. The key to enabling this feature is knowing the text commands that Outlook will respond to.

Instructions

1. Launch a new appointment window by clicking the "New Appointment" button at the top of the screen in a "Calendar" view.

2. Select the existing date shown in the date section of the "End time" area. Type "in 15 days" to advance the previous entry 15 days ahead.

3. Experiment with different smart date phrases by typing them in either the "Start time" or "End time" areas. Try "4th Wednesday in March," "12 days after Thanksgiving," "5 weeks from 8/2" or "in 40 days," for example. These phrases offer convenient alternatives for seeking dates that are not necessarily day-specific, but that need to occur within a certain block of time.

References

• Productivity Portfolio: Smart Date Logic in Outlook