Inclusive vs Exclusive Dates

When you add an event to your timeline, it's important to understand how Preceden will interpret the dates you specify.

When you specify an end date for your event, Preceden interprets that as you wanting the event to include that end date. For example, if a friend told you she was going to Europe from May to June, you'd likely assume that her trip includes June. Preceden does the same for the dates you enter. Put another way, Preceden interprets the event through the end date (or May through June in this example).

The exception is when the end date includes a time. If the same friend told you she had a dentist appointment from 1pm to 2pm, it's clear that she means the event only lasts an hour and Preceden does the same.

Here are a few examples to make this clear:

Two Day Event Span

Take the following event:
  • Start Date: Jan 1, 2015
  • End Date: Jan 2, 2015
Preceden interprets this to mean that the event ends at the end of Jan 2:

Single Day Event Span

  • Start Date: Jan 1, 2015
  • End Date: Jan 1, 2015
Then the event will span a single day:

Two Year Event Span

  • Start Date: 2015
  • End Date: 2016
Then Preceden will interpret it to mean that the event ends at the end of 2016:

One Year Event Span

  • Start Date: 2015
  • End Date: 2015
Which is identical to:
  • Start Date: Jan 1, 2015
  • End Date: Dec 31, 2015
Because the end date Dec 31, 2015 includes that day, the event spans the entire year:

End Dates That Include a Time

  • Start Date: Jan 1, 2015 1pm
  • End Date: Jan 1, 2015 2pm

Unlike the examples above that deal with dates, this end date specifies a time which Preceden interprets as the exact end time:

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