> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/datecompare.md).

# DateCompare

Compares the difference between two dates - returning 0 if equal, -1 if date2 is less than date1 and 1 if the inverse

## Method Signature

```
DateCompare(date1=[any], date2=[any], datepart=[string])
```

### Arguments

| Argument   | Type     | Required | Description                                                                 | Default |
| ---------- | -------- | -------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------- |
| `date1`    | `any`    | `true`   | The reference date object                                                   |         |
| `date2`    | `any`    | `true`   | The date which to compare against date1                                     |         |
| `datepart` | `string` | `false`  | The precision to compare down to. Accepts y, yyyy, m, d, h, n, s (default). |         |

## Examples

### Compare Two Dates by Year

[Run Example](https://try.boxlang.io/?code=eJxLSSxJdc7PLUgsStVQUDI00jc20DcyMDRV0gHzDIzgvEogUFLQtOYCAGFDDFs%3D)

```java
dateCompare( "12/30/2015", "12/02/2015", "yyyy" );

```

Result: 0

### Compare Two Dates by Day

Returns 1 because date1 is greater than date 2

[Run Example](https://try.boxlang.io/?code=eJxLSSxJdc7PLUgsStVQUDI00jc20DcyMDRV0gHzDIzgvBQlBU1rLgA4GArb)

```java
dateCompare( "12/30/2015", "12/02/2015", "d" );

```

Result: 1

### Member function example

[Run Example](https://try.boxlang.io/?code=eJxLMVSwVUguSk0sSXUBYg0FJSMDIxMlHQUlA0MoqaBpzZVihFOZEYg0NIEoM9RLzs8tSCwCqgBqAYoAAGSPFq0%3D)

```java
d1 = createDate( "2024", "01", "01" );
d2 = createDate( "2024", "02", "14" );
d1.compare( d2 );

```

Result: -1

### Additional Examples

[Run Example](https://try.boxlang.io/?code=eJwrL8osSfUvLSkoLdFQSEksSXXOzy1ILErVUMjLL9fQ1FFQMjTUNzTQN7S0NFJS0FRQU1BS0HABqjNUyCxWyAEyihRKMhLzwHqNNG2SiuyAyqy5ynGai2wgAeNTC0sTcxRK8sk1HOwFqKkIQxOLcjJRXA02EwBD4Ewp)

```java
writeOutput( dateCompare( now(), "11/10/1992" ) & " (Date1 is later than date2)<br>" );
writeOutput( dateCompare( "11/10/1992", "11/10/1992" ) & " (Date1 is equal to date2)<br>" );
writeOutput( dateCompare( "11/10/1992", now() ) & " Date1 is earlier than date2" );

```

[Run Example](https://try.boxlang.io/?code=eJx1zsEKwjAMBuD7niL0IC2IW3YbUy969xmiLWywrTOmjL29ncrcEA%2BBBPJ%2FiYUD3NiRuHMsDaMj1tD5QRswW2h9J9VitjTOE5gysRjzCjHFLMWiyFWZDFyLuwTpg2iwu5Nve%2BIoL7dieAMKppMI9QOa2DBIRV28IC7fX%2FmoJj%2F779kPomfF3QM1IP5tmBlZC%2FhLfAXipl598gKe58xUzw%3D%3D)

```java
d = createDate( year( now() ), month( now() ), day( now() ) );
d1 = "11/10/1992";
writeOutput( d.Compare( "11/10/1992" ) & " Date1 is later than date2<br>" );
0;
writeOutput( d.Compare( d ) & " (Date1 is equal to date2)<br>" );
writeOutput( d1.Compare( d ) & " Date1 is earlier than date2" );

```

## Related

* [ClearTimezone](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/cleartimezone.md)
* [CreateDate](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/createdate.md)
* [CreateDateTime](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/createdatetime.md)
* [CreateODBCDate](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/createodbcdate.md)
* [CreateODBCDateTime](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/createodbcdatetime.md)
* [CreateODBCTime](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/createodbctime.md)
* [CreateTime](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/createtime.md)
* [CreateTimeSpan](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/createtimespan.md)
* [DateAdd](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/dateadd.md)
* [DateConvert](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/dateconvert.md)
* [DateDiff](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/datediff.md)
* [DateFormat](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/dateformat.md)
* [DatePart](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/datepart.md)
* [dateSetDay](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/datesetday.md)
* [dateSetHour](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/datesethour.md)
* [dateSetMinute](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/datesetminute.md)
* [dateSetMonth](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/datesetmonth.md)
* [dateSetSecond](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/datesetsecond.md)
* [dateSetYear](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/datesetyear.md)
* [DateTimeFormat](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/datetimeformat.md)
* [Day](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/day.md)
* [DayOfWeek](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/dayofweek.md)
* [DayOfWeekAsString](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/dayofweekasstring.md)
* [DayOfWeekShortAsString](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/dayofweekshortasstring.md)
* [DayOfYear](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/dayofyear.md)
* [DaysInMonth](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/daysinmonth.md)
* [DaysInYear](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/daysinyear.md)
* [FirstDayOfMonth](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/firstdayofmonth.md)
* [GetNumericDate](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/getnumericdate.md)
* [GetTime](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/gettime.md)
* [GetTimezone](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/gettimezone.md)
* [GetTimezoneInfo](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/gettimezoneinfo.md)
* [Hour](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/hour.md)
* [Millisecond](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/millisecond.md)
* [Minute](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/minute.md)
* [Month](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/month.md)
* [MonthAsString](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/monthasstring.md)
* [MonthShortAsString](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/monthshortasstring.md)
* [Nanosecond](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/nanosecond.md)
* [Now](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/now.md)
* [Offset](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/offset.md)
* [ParseDateTime](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/parsedatetime.md)
* [Quarter](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/quarter.md)
* [Second](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/second.md)
* [SetTimezone](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/settimezone.md)
* [TimeFormat](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/timeformat.md)
* [TimeUnits](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/timeunits.md)
* [Week](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/week.md)
* [Year](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/temporal/year.md)


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