Date Field-CREATEDATE etc

[John]

I need clarification on using date fields in templates and/or non-templates
(.doc) in Word 2000

I have form files (letter format) that I merge via Excel to obtain a "new"
document that is then saved to a folder under client name.

I want the form file to update the date daily to the current date when I
open it (not its original created date.) I want to then merge that form file
to create a "new" file/document with the current date and maintain that same
date when saved. When that "new" document is opened a day or a month or a
year later, I do not want the date to change from its original saved date.
However, I do want the form file to reflect upon each opening the current
date so that the resulting new document created via the merge will then have
the current date and maintain it with save.

I have tried the CREATEDATE with date switch on templates and non-templates.
That only sets the form document to maintain its originally created date.
It does not then auto change to the current date with each opening.

Is what I want to do possible. We are manually changing the date each time
we open a form file to the correct date. Since the files are read-only to
everyone else in the office that becomes a problem, if that same form file is
opened several times in the day. As well if the form file has not been used
since January 1, 2006 and it is now March 7, 2007, I want the user to be able
to open the form file and the March 7, 2007 show. If I open the form file
tomorrow I want that date to be March 8, 2007. I want the resulting "new"
document created on March 7, 2007 via merge to maintain the March 7, 2007
date after saving and not auto update with each new opening of the document
after initial save.

Thank you,

 

[Peter Jamieson]

I think you need to stick with CREATEDATE, despite the fact that it does not
appear to have worked so far.

CREATEDATE returns the date the /document/ that it is in was created.

If you /open/ a .dot template containing a CREATEDATE field, you see the
date that the template was created. However, if you use templates how they
were intended to be used (via Word File|New, or even by double-clicking a
..dot within Windows Explorer) you should get a new document, created today,
whose CREATEDATE fields should show today's date.

If you merge to a new document based on that newly created .doc, you should
also end up with a CREATEDATE of today. What's more, that data should not
change when you re-open the document in future. However, if you create a new
document from the merged document, in some circumstances it may have a new
creation date and the CREATEDATE field will be re-evaluated. So, if you
really want to be pretty sure that a CREATEDATE field in a merged document
never changes after creation, you probably need to use a macro to "unlink"
the CREATEDATE fields (manually, you do it by selecting the field and using
ctrl-shift-F9) leaving the result of the field in the document.

I'm not completely sure that's what you were asking but that's my best
shot...

Peter Jamieson

 

[John]

Yes, you have answered my question. I open the files via Word/File Open and
choose the .dot from the listing. Does that make a difference?

I do not open from Windows Explorer or Word File New.

I have tried to change my regional date/time settings to a few days ahead
and that does not seem to "force" the template to update to the correct date
with CREATEDATE. Is there anyway to test today, if using CREATEDATE will
work or not?


Thank you,

 

[Peter Jamieson]

I open the files via Word/File Open and

choose the .dot from the listing. Does that make a difference?

Yes, it does. This is not really how templates are supposed to be used in
Word. They are supposed to be "pads" from which you "tear off" a copy when
you need one. As I understand it, MS got the impression that lots of users
didn't understand templates and tried to make them "easier" to use, thereby
undermining some of their more useful features.

I have tried to change my regional date/time settings to a few days ahead
and that does not seem to "force" the template to update to the correct
date
with CREATEDATE. Is there anyway to test today, if using CREATEDATE will
work or not?

here, I created a template with CREATEDATE, moved my clock to tomorrow, used
File|New to create a document based on my template and the date was
tomorrow's date. if that's what you want, without using File|New or
selecting the .dot or some programmatic equivalent, you will not get
CREATEDATE to behave. If it isn't what you want, then I have misunderstood
your requirement.

Peter Jamieson

 

[John]

You have understood perfectly. I think my problem is that the templates are
stored on a server drive and I need to direct my Word file locations to that
drive.

As of right now, none of the templates are showing up via the File/New
listing.

I was able to move the regional setting date forward a few days and open via
your suggestion through Windows Explorer. In that instance CREATEDATE worked
perfectly.

So if I want my documents to be .doc instead of .dot, is it possible to do
what I have asked originally in a .doc file with the date issue?

Thank you for your help. You have filled in the blank areas for me perfectly.

 

[Graham Mayor]

If you set tools > options > file locations > workgroup templates to the
server location where your templates are stored, they should show up in file

new.

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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