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# Before
The `Before` expression checks if a date is b**efore** the specified date.
{% hint style="warning" %}
**IMPORTANT** Any time part of the date is ignored during comparison.
{% endhint %}
Expression
Databox Value
Result
Before("14-10-2020")
15-10-2020 08:00pm
False
Before("20-03-2023")
21-11-2020
True
### Example 1
Check if [Company Data](/product-suite/admin/entities/databoxes/company-data.md)Databox value is before another [Company Data](/product-suite/admin/entities/databoxes/company-data.md) Databox value.
Here the date value of one databox "CompanyData.Expressions.Date" is written into "Examples.Date" and the expression ""BeforeDate Fixed date" checks if "CompanyData.Expressions.Date" (15/10/2016) is before the value in the "Examples.Date.BeforeDate Fixed" (14/10/2016) expression
If true it'll display a message with True, if false then one with False.
### Example 2
Check if a [Company Data](/product-suite/admin/entities/databoxes/company-data.md)Databox value is before a user entered value.
The same as the above example but in this example it checks if "CompanyData.Expressions.Date" is before a user entered date.
The user enters a date into "Script.Date01". "CompanyData.Expressions.Date" then writes 15/10/2016 into Examples.Date and is evaluated against the expression "Before Date01"
So if 17-10-2016 is entered it returns true as shown below\...
### Example 3
Check if a user entered value is before another user entered value.
As the examples above but this compares two date values that are both user entered.
User enters dates into "Script.Date01" and "Script.Date02". An expression "Before Date01" then runs against the value entered in Script.Date02 and it returns true or false.
Below are examples of the returns of true and false.