Microsoft Lists - compress formula to minimize character

Hi BLBARBER, 

Great to hear the issue resolved. If you think the answer is helpful, please mark it as an answer, which will definitely help others in the community who have similar queries to find solutions to their problems faster.  

Thank you for your valuable feedback, glad to know that my answer helpful. I appreciate your kind words. 
Warmest regards, 

Vicky-I - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Hi BLBARBER, 

Thank you for your update! I tried to research and here’s solution for your error: 

1. Syntax Error Identified: 
   1. Your formula appears to have inconsistent spacing, and line breaks that SharePoint doesn't recognize. Calculated columns require continuous single-line formulas without line breaks.
2. Corrected Formula:

=[Sdate] - IF(ISNUMBER(SEARCH("-Days", [Priority])), VALUE(LEFT([Priority], SEARCH("-", [Priority]) - 1)), IF(ISNUMBER(SEARCH("-Weeks", [Priority])), VALUE(LEFT([Priority], SEARCH("-", [Priority]) - 1)) * 7, 0)) 

1. Validation Steps: 
   1. Check Column Names: Verify Sdate and Priority match exact internal names (go to column settings > check "Name" field).
   2. Test Simple Cases First: Try a basic formula like =[Sdate] - 1 to confirm the column works, then add complexity.
   3. Date Format: Ensure Sdate is a valid date column (your output type "Date Only" is correct).
2. Common Pitfalls: 
   1. Text vs. Numbers: LEFT() returns text—use VALUE() to convert to a number.
   2. Hyphen Logic: If Priority uses formats like "5-Days" or "2-Weeks", the formula should work. For other formats (e.g., "High"), it defaults to 0.
3. Next Steps: 
   1. Copy the corrected formula above exactly into your calculated column.
   2. If it fails again, share a sample value of Priority and Sdate for further debugging.

If the error persists, I strongly recommend you submit a Support Ticket (Your IT admin can escalate this to Microsoft via) https://admin.microsoft.com/#/support/requests for further and deeper step by step assistance. 

Warmest regards, 

Vicky-I -MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist