5 Ways to Get Weekday in Excel

Introduction to Excel Weekday Functions

When working with dates in Excel, it’s often necessary to determine the day of the week for a specific date. Excel provides several functions to achieve this, including the WEEKDAY function, which returns a number representing the day of the week. In this article, we will explore 5 ways to get the weekday in Excel, making it easier to manage and analyze date-related data.

Understanding the WEEKDAY Function

The WEEKDAY function in Excel returns a number from 1 (Sunday) to 7 (Saturday) representing the day of the week for a given date. The syntax for the WEEKDAY function is WEEKDAY(serial_number, [return_type]), where serial_number is the date for which you want to find the day of the week, and [return_type] is an optional argument that specifies the day of the week to return. The [return_type] can be one of the following: - 1 (Default) - Sunday (1) to Saturday (7) - 2 - Monday (1) to Sunday (7) - 3 - Monday (0) to Sunday (6)

5 Ways to Get Weekday in Excel

Here are five methods to determine the weekday in Excel, catering to different needs and preferences:

1. Using the WEEKDAY Function Directly:

   • This is the most straightforward method. You simply use the WEEKDAY function with the date you’re interested in.
   • Example: =WEEKDAY(A1) where A1 contains the date.

2. Converting Weekday Number to Name:

   • After getting the weekday number, you can convert it to the weekday name using the CHOOSE function or an array formula with the TEXT function.
   • Example using CHOOSE: =CHOOSE(WEEKDAY(A1), "Sunday", "Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday", "Friday", "Saturday")

3. Using the TEXT Function:

   • The TEXT function can directly convert a date to a text string representing the day of the week.
   • Example: =TEXT(A1, "dddd") where “dddd” formats the date as the full weekday name.

4. VBA User-Defined Function:

   • For those comfortable with VBA, you can create a custom function to return the weekday name.
   • Example VBA code:

     
     Function GetWeekdayName(dateValue As Date) As String
      GetWeekdayName = Format(dateValue, "dddd")
     End Function
     

   • Then, in a cell, you can use =GetWeekdayName(A1).

5. Using Power Query:

   • Power Query (available in Excel 2010 and later versions) provides a powerful way to manipulate data, including dates.
   • You can add a custom column with the formula = Date.ToText([YourDateColumn], "dddd") to get the weekday name.

Practical Applications

Determining the weekday in Excel has numerous practical applications, such as: - Scheduling: Identifying weekdays is crucial for scheduling tasks, meetings, and appointments. - Data Analysis: In data analysis, understanding the day of the week can help in identifying patterns or trends that are day-specific. - Automating Tasks: Knowing the weekday can help in automating tasks, such as sending reports or notifications on specific days of the week.

📝 Note: When working with dates and weekdays, ensure your system's date settings are consistent with your requirements to avoid discrepancies.

Summary of Methods

The methods outlined above provide flexibility in how you can work with weekdays in Excel. Whether you prefer using built-in functions like WEEKDAY or TEXT, or exploring more advanced options like VBA or Power Query, there’s a method to suit your needs. Here is a summary of the key points in bullet form: - Use the WEEKDAY function for a weekday number. - Apply the TEXT function for direct conversion to a weekday name. - Consider VBA for custom weekday functions. - Leverage Power Query for advanced data manipulation. - Always verify your system’s date settings.

In essence, Excel offers a variety of methods to determine the weekday, each with its own advantages and suitable for different scenarios. By mastering these methods, you can more efficiently manage and analyze date-related data in your spreadsheets.