Configuring the values of date-based dimensions

Quick Reference

Need more flexibility? If the predefined modes don't cover your use case, you can write custom expressions using our date range algebra.

Period Modes

Period modes capture complete calendar periods (weeks, months, quarters, or years).

This (current period)

Captures the current calendar period containing today.

Examples:

• "This week" → Monday to Sunday of the current week
• "This month" → 1st to last day of the current month
• "This quarter" → Current 3-month quarter (Q1, Q2, Q3, or Q4)
• "This year" → January 1 to December 31 of the current year

Last (previous period)

Captures the complete calendar period immediately before the current one.

Examples:

• "Last week" → Monday to Sunday of the previous week
• "Last month" → Complete previous month
• "Last quarter" → Previous 3-month quarter
• "Last year" → Complete previous year

Next (following period)

Captures the complete calendar period immediately after the current one.

Examples:

• "Next week" → Monday to Sunday of the following week
• "Next month" → Complete following month
• "Next quarter" → Following 3-month quarter
• "Next year" → Complete following year

Rolling Modes

Rolling modes create ranges that automatically adjust as time passes, always relative to today.

All Past

Captures everything from the beginning of time up to and including today.

Use case: Show all historical data, completed tasks, or past events.

Past N (lookback)

Captures a specific number of days, weeks, or months looking backward from today.

Examples:

• "Past 7 days" → Last 7 days including today
• "Past 30 days" → Last 30 days including today
• "Past 3 months" → Last 3 months from today

Use case: Recent activity, trending data, short-term reports.

Upcoming N (lookahead)

Captures a specific number of days, weeks, or months looking forward from today.

Examples:

• "Upcoming 7 days" → Next 7 days starting from today
• "Upcoming 2 weeks" → Next 2 weeks from today
• "Upcoming 3 months" → Next 3 months from today

Use case: Upcoming deadlines, scheduled tasks, near-term planning.

All Future

Captures everything from today onwards into the indefinite future.

Use case: Show all upcoming items, future commitments, or planned work.

Offset Modes

Offset modes create windows at a specific distance from today, useful for comparing time periods or analyzing historical/future data.

Earlier Than N

Captures everything before a certain point in the past.

Examples:

• "Earlier than 3 months ago" → Everything before 3 months ago
• "Earlier than 1 year ago" → Everything before last year

Use case: Archival data, old items needing attention, aging analysis.

Historical

Captures a window between two points in the past.

Examples:

• "2-1 months ago" → The period from 2 months ago to 1 month ago
• "6-3 months ago" → The period from 6 months ago to 3 months ago

Use case: Period-over-period comparisons, historical analysis, trend detection.

Future

Captures a window between two points in the future.

Examples:

• "1-2 months ahead" → The period from 1 month to 2 months in the future
• "2-4 weeks ahead" → The period from 2 to 4 weeks ahead

Use case: Medium-term planning, future sprints, upcoming milestones.

Later Than N

Captures everything after a certain point in the future.

Examples:

• "Later than 1 month ahead" → Everything more than 1 month away
• "Later than 3 months ahead" → Everything more than a quarter away

Use case: Long-term items, distant deadlines, backlog items.

Fixed Modes

Fixed modes use specific calendar dates rather than relative calculations.

Between (date range)

Captures a specific date range with explicit start and end dates.

Examples:

• "Jan 1, 2025 – Mar 31, 2025" → First quarter of 2025
• "Jul 15, 2025 – Aug 15, 2025" → A specific month-long period

Use case: Fiscal periods, project phases, event windows.

Before (until date)

Captures everything from the beginning of time up to a specific date.

Examples:

• "Before Jan 1, 2025" → Everything before 2025
• "Before Jul 1, 2025" → Everything before H2 2025

Use case: Legacy items, pre-launch data, historical cutoffs.

After (from date)

Captures everything from a specific date into the indefinite future.

Examples:

• "After Jan 1, 2025" → Everything from 2025 onwards
• "After Jul 1, 2025" → Everything from H2 2025 onwards

Use case: Post-launch data, new initiatives, future-only views.

Custom Expressions

When the predefined modes don't fit your needs, you can write custom date range expressions using a simple algebra. This gives you full control over exactly which dates are included.

Basic Syntax

A date range expression defines a start and end boundary:

<start> ... <end>

The ... operator means the end is exclusive (up to but not including). Use .. for an inclusive end (up to and including).

Date Anchors

These special keywords represent dynamic points in time:

Period Boundaries

Reference the start or end of calendar periods containing today:

Examples:

• SOM .. EOM → This month (inclusive)
• SOY ... EOY → This year (exclusive of last day)

Durations

Durations follow the ISO 8601 format: P<amount><unit>

Arithmetic

Combine anchors or period boundaries with durations using + (forward) or - (backward):

Fixed Dates

Use the YYYY-MM-DD format for specific calendar dates:

2025-01-01 ... 2025-03-31

Shortcuts

Two special shortcuts exist for common open-ended ranges:

Expression Examples

Here are examples showing how the predefined modes translate to expressions:

Advanced Examples

Tips

1. Exclusive vs Inclusive: Use ... (exclusive) for most ranges to avoid overlapping boundaries. Use .. (inclusive) only when you specifically want the end date included.

2. Period alignment: Use SOW, SOM, SOQ, SOY to align ranges with calendar boundaries. This ensures "last month" means the complete previous month, not "30 days ago."

3. Consistent units: When building offset ranges, use the same unit for both boundaries (e.g., both in months) for predictable results.

4. Testing: The expression preview shows the resolved date range, so you can verify your expression captures the intended period.