If you do not enter any dates for a function, the display period dates, that is, the start and end dates on your input screen, are used as defaults, that is the program display period dates.. For example, if in program 401A you set the start date to 1/1/98 and the end date to 1/1/99, to calculate the average Marks and Spencer share price for this period, you need only type:
AVG#(MKS)
Similarly, you can combine default dates with dates specified by you. For example, the following AVG# function uses the default start date (because no start date is specified) and a user-specified end date of 1/6/98:
AVG#(MKS,,1/6/98)
The ability to omit date parameters in place of defaults is particularly useful if you are using a nested function. For example, the following AVG# expression has no date parameters, and defaults instead to the display dates on the input screen:
AVG#(PCH#(MKS,3D))
In this example, the average of all 3-day percentage changes is calculated for a period defined by the start and end dates on the input screen.
Note Any static function which is nested outside another function accepts default dates only.
For the following functions, the default date is the start date on your input screen:
Whatever time period you choose, functions always use daily values as defaults.