Current Date field

[Austin]

I inserted a date field, set to update automatically. In
one mail merge the field works properly, in another mail
merge (with an identical field) the field doesn't show
the current date. Any ideas about how this is happening
are appreciated.

 

[Cindy Meister -WordMVP-]

Hi Austin,

I inserted a date field, set to update automatically. In
one mail merge the field works properly, in another mail
merge (with an identical field) the field doesn't show
the current date.

Press Alt+F9 to view the field codes and look at the date
field in both documents. Can you copy / paste into a message
what you see between the { field brackets }?

Also, which version of Word is this?

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jan
24 2003)
http://www.mvps.org/word

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[Austin]

Hi Cindy - This is what I have on the in document

{DATE\@ "MMMM d, yyyy"}

When I print it, it prints the correct date. It's when
it is being viewed that it doesn't work. I know Alt+F9
will update the field, but when this is going to be used
by non-technical people who will either forget or not
want to have to use Alt+F9 each time they open the
document.

 

[Cindy Meister -WordMVP-]

Hi Austin,

You still didn't tell us which version of Word we're dealing
with.

Is the field inserted "just in the text" in both documents,
or is it perhaps in a text box or something like that in the
document where it doesn't update on opening?

This is what I have on the in document

{DATE\@ "MMMM d, yyyy"}

When I print it, it prints the correct date. It's when
it is being viewed that it doesn't work. I know Alt+F9
will update the field, but when this is going to be used
by non-technical people who will either forget or not
want to have to use Alt+F9 each time they open the
document.

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jan
24 2003)
http://www.mvps.org/word

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any
follow question or reply in the newsgroup and not by e-mail

 

[Austin]

Hi - It's Word 2002. The field is just in the text.

 

[Cindy Meister -WordMVP-]

Hi Austin,

I don't know why it would be working in one document and not
another, then. You do have a space between DATE and \@ in
the real field? If not, try putting that in there and see if
it helps at all...

But the only other problem source that occurs to me would be
some kind of damage in the document structure that may be
interfering with automatic updating. If you
- rename Normal.dot
- start Word
- set up a new document to merge, with a date field (as a
test)
- save, close, change your computer's date, open: does it
behave as you expect?

It's Word 2002. The field is just in the text.

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jan
24 2003)
http://www.mvps.org/word

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any
follow question or reply in the newsgroup and not by e-mail