Date in Variable Appearing as Number

[bbergstrom]

In QlikSense I have a variable in the loadscript that defines a default date:

LET vDateDefaultFrom = Date(Addmonths(Now(),-20),'MM/DD/YYYY');

The variable value appears correctly as 02/25/2017 in the variable window but when I add it to a text object or KPI it is appearing as:

3.9662865642043e-05

If I wrap the variable in a Date() it is returning an incorrect date:

Date($(vDateDefaultFrom)) = 12/30/1899

Do we know why this is happening?

[rubenmarin]

Hi Brian, try with simple quotes to avoid the division (02 divided by 25 divided by 2017) :

Date('$(vDateDefaultFrom)')

[sunny_talwar]

May be leave it as a number in the script

LET vDateDefaultFrom = Num(Floor(Addmonths(Now(), -20)));

and then use Date() on the front end

[bbergstrom]

Thanks for the suggestions.  I just took the variable out of the QVS and created it directly in the app.  Not sure how this will affect performance but at least it is correctly appearing as a date.

UPDATE: Spoke too soon.  Putting the variable in the app works as long as I do not put an '=' in front of the expression.  In addition, another variable I created is not formatting dates correctly.

IF(COUNT([Transaction Month])=COUNT({<[Transaction Month]=>}[Transaction Month]),$(vDateDefaultFrom),MIN(TranDateTime))

When it returns $(vDateDefaultFrom) it is correctly formatted as 02/25/2017.  When it returns MIN(TranDateTime) I am getting 41762.668055556.

If I create a text box with MIN(TranDateTime) it correctly displays as 05/03/2014 4:02:00PM.

I am struggling to understand the point of variables if these issues occur.

[bbergstrom]

Final attempt appears to be working correctly:

IF(ISNULL(GetFieldSelections([Transaction Month])),Date(Addmonths(Today(),-20),'MM/DD/YYYY'),DATE(MIN(TranDateTime)))