Another "Insert Date" problem

[Steve B.]

I created a letter template which I saved as a Word document and then, in
the Finder, I checked "Stationery pad", so opening the file creates a new
document and leaves the template untouched. II want to insert the date into
my template. If, when inserting the date into the template, I don't check
"Update Automatically", then the file opens with the date that I created the
template. If I _do_ check "Update Automatically", the the file opens with
today's date (which is what I want) but then if I save the document and open
it at some date in the future, the date *again updates* and, if I happen to
save, I've lost the original date.

Isn't there some way to get the template to open a new document with today's
date, but then save that date for all time, even if the file is re-opened
later?

Thanks in advance,
Steve = : ^ )

 

[Elliott Roper]

<C0BCAD43.749BE%[email protected]>

I created a letter template which I saved as a Word document and then, in
the Finder, I checked "Stationery pad", so opening the file creates a new
document and leaves the template untouched. II want to insert the date into
my template. If, when inserting the date into the template, I don't check
"Update Automatically", then the file opens with the date that I created the
template. If I _do_ check "Update Automatically", the the file opens with
today's date (which is what I want) but then if I save the document and open
it at some date in the future, the date *again updates* and, if I happen to
save, I've lost the original date.

Isn't there some way to get the template to open a new document with today's
date, but then save that date for all time, even if the file is re-opened
later?

Thanks in advance,
Steve = : ^ )

Use CREATEDATE field rather than DATE field

 

[Steve B.]

Elliott Roper said:

<C0BCAD43.749BE%[email protected]>


Use CREATEDATE field rather than DATE field

Thanks for the reply. I'm using Word X, where do I find CREATEDATE, please?

Thanks in advance,
Steve = : ^ )

 

[Elliott Roper]

<C0BCCCB1.749F7%[email protected]>

Elliott Roper said:


Thanks for the reply. I'm using Word X, where do I find CREATEDATE, please?

Help search "createdate field" will tell you what you want to know.

If your template already has a DATE field in it, just type CREATE in
front of DATE with the field open for editing. (ctrl-click on the field
and choose toggle field codes from the context menu that appears.) Then
you can go on ignoring the help like any proper Mac user should ;-)

Another trick for freezing the date so it won't update later is to copy
it and paste unformatted text while it is still selected. That turns
the displayed result of the field into plain vanilla text.

Past unformatted is so useful that it is worth recording a macro for
that and assigning a keystroke to it.

 

[Steve B.]

Elliott Roper said:

<C0BCCCB1.749F7%[email protected]>


Help search "createdate field" will tell you what you want to know.

If your template already has a DATE field in it, just type CREATE in
front of DATE with the field open for editing. (ctrl-click on the field
and choose toggle field codes from the context menu that appears.) Then
you can go on ignoring the help like any proper Mac user should ;-)

Another trick for freezing the date so it won't update later is to copy
it and paste unformatted text while it is still selected. That turns
the displayed result of the field into plain vanilla text.

Past unformatted is so useful that it is worth recording a macro for
that and assigning a keystroke to it.

Last night, after finding CREATEDATE, I replaced the date field in my
template with CREATEDATE. I opened the template and saved the document it
created. Here in Oz it's now the next day so I opened the document, and was
pleased to find it still had yesterday's date. My pleasure was short-lived
when I opened the template and found that the new document created also had
yesterday's date.

I toggled the field codes and got this:

{CREATEDATE \@ "dddd, MMMM d,yyyy"\*MERGEFORMAT}

What am I still doing wrong?

Thanks in advance,
Steve = : ^ )

 

[Elliott Roper]

<C0BD5975.74B92%[email protected]>

Last night, after finding CREATEDATE, I replaced the date field in my
template with CREATEDATE. I opened the template and saved the document it
created. Here in Oz it's now the next day so I opened the document, and was
pleased to find it still had yesterday's date. My pleasure was short-lived
when I opened the template and found that the new document created also had
yesterday's date.

I toggled the field codes and got this:

{CREATEDATE \@ "dddd, MMMM d,yyyy"\*MERGEFORMAT}

What am I still doing wrong?

Oh Bugger! It works for me.

Braz^h^h^h^hWord 2, Australia 0

How are you creating the doc from the template? Via the project
gallery? That should work like a beauty.

If you just open the template and try to force that into being an
ordinary .doc on save it will probably misbehave as you reported.

 

[Steve B.]

Elliott Roper said:

<C0BD5975.74B92%[email protected]>


Oh Bugger! It works for me.

Braz^h^h^h^hWord 2, Australia 0
LOL

How are you creating the doc from the template? Via the project
gallery? That should work like a beauty.

I'm just opening the document. I have 'Stationery Pad" checked in the
Finder, so it opens a new document.

If you just open the template and try to force that into being an
ordinary .doc on save it will probably misbehave as you reported.

No need to force it, it opens as an ordinary doc. but doesn't seem to update
the date. I've saved it as a template and will see if that works - I have to
wait till tomorrow. I guess I could fudge the date but I have to go off and
do some work anyway.

Thanks again,
Steve = : ^ )

 

[Elliott Roper]

<C0BD5FFF.74BA1%[email protected]>

Elliott Roper said:


I'm just opening the document. I have 'Stationery Pad" checked in the
Finder, so it opens a new document.

I don't think the finder is clever enough to trick Word into making a
dance through the field interpreter.

No need to force it, it opens as an ordinary doc. but doesn't seem to update
the date. I've saved it as a template and will see if that works - I have to
wait till tomorrow. I guess I could fudge the date but I have to go off and
do some work anyway.

I betcha it might!

If you are really impatient, add hhmmss inside the date picture.

 

[macropod]

Hi Steve,

The process you've described for creating your template suggests you're
saving the template file as an ordinary Word document, not as Word
template.

If you save your template file as a Word document, any new Word document
made by copying or editing it will have the original createdate until you
save it again using File|Save As. If you save the template file as a Word
template, any Word document made from it (via File|New) will have a new
createdate.

Other variations on this theme you might find useful include SAVEDATE and
PRINTDATE.

Cheers

 

[Steve B.]

macropod said:

Hi Steve,

The process you've described for creating your template suggests you're
saving the template file as an ordinary Word document, not as Word
template.

If you save your template file as a Word document, any new Word document
made by copying or editing it will have the original createdate until you
save it again using File|Save As. If you save the template file as a Word
template, any Word document made from it (via File|New) will have a new
createdate.

Other variations on this theme you might find useful include SAVEDATE and
PRINTDATE.

I'm not sure if this agrees with what you're saying, but I just the file I
saved as a Word template within Word, and it opened with today's date
(though I created the template yesterday), which is what I want. A file I
created the same way yesterday (so it displayed yesterday's date), and saved
to disk, today opens still displaying yesterday's date, which is also what I
want, so it appears everything in fine.

Thanks,
Steve = : ^ )