How do I format mergefield dates to dd/MM/yyyy in Publisher[using.

[RWALKERLONDON]

I drive a Publisher catalog merge from an Access 2003 source database. The
dates in Access are formatted in European format [dd/MM/yy] but always
display in US MM/dd format - which causes confusion e.g. 12/03 would be read
in Europe as 12th March, not December 3rd. Short of exporting the Access
data to a Word or Excel file and formatting the source data as text, I cannot
find any way to change the mergefield format [as you can easily in Word
mergefields]. Help please?

Roger Walker

 

[Mary Sauer]

How do you have the short date setup in the Regional and Language settings in the
control panel?

 

[RWALKERLONDON]

Thanks for your post Mary. I have the computer set up in control panel as
United Kingdom and short date is dd/MM/yy. Every other MS office application
displays dates correctly, except Publisher. It seems that the underlying
Publisher mergefield date format is MM/dd regardless of how the source is
formatted. If I convert from date to text format it works fine, but then I
can't auto-update changes in the database to the catalog merge. I have to
convert the database query to a Word document every time. In Word there is
the same problem, but one can toggle fieldcodes and add a switch e.g. \@"d
MMM yyyy" to force a different format. In Publisher, this option does not
appear to exist?

How do you have the short date setup in the Regional and Language settings in the
control panel?

--
Mary Sauer MS MVP
http://office.microsoft.com/
http://msauer.mvps.org/
news://msnews.microsoft.com

I drive a Publisher catalog merge from an Access 2003 source database. The
dates in Access are formatted in European format [dd/MM/yy] but always
display in US MM/dd format - which causes confusion e.g. 12/03 would be read
in Europe as 12th March, not December 3rd. Short of exporting the Access
data to a Word or Excel file and formatting the source data as text, I cannot
find any way to change the mergefield format [as you can easily in Word
mergefields]. Help please?

Roger Walker

 

[Mary Sauer]

There is a British MVP around here somewhere, maybe he will pop in...
There is an custom button in the Language & Regional folder next to the country. See
if the date there is correct, could be it needs to be changed as well.

--
Mary Sauer MS MVP
http://office.microsoft.com/

Thanks for your post Mary. I have the computer set up in control panel as
United Kingdom and short date is dd/MM/yy. Every other MS office application
displays dates correctly, except Publisher. It seems that the underlying
Publisher mergefield date format is MM/dd regardless of how the source is
formatted. If I convert from date to text format it works fine, but then I
can't auto-update changes in the database to the catalog merge. I have to
convert the database query to a Word document every time. In Word there is
the same problem, but one can toggle fieldcodes and add a switch e.g. \@"d
MMM yyyy" to force a different format. In Publisher, this option does not
appear to exist?

How do you have the short date setup in the Regional and Language settings in the
control panel?

--
Mary Sauer MS MVP
http://office.microsoft.com/
http://msauer.mvps.org/
news://msnews.microsoft.com

I drive a Publisher catalog merge from an Access 2003 source database. The
dates in Access are formatted in European format [dd/MM/yy] but always
display in US MM/dd format - which causes confusion e.g. 12/03 would be read
in Europe as 12th March, not December 3rd. Short of exporting the Access
data to a Word or Excel file and formatting the source data as text, I cannot
find any way to change the mergefield format [as you can easily in Word
mergefields]. Help please?

Roger Walker

 

[Miss Perspicacia Tick]

Thanks for your post Mary. I have the computer set up in control
panel as United Kingdom and short date is dd/MM/yy. Every other MS
office application displays dates correctly, except Publisher. It
seems that the underlying Publisher mergefield date format is MM/dd
regardless of how the source is formatted. If I convert from date to
text format it works fine, but then I can't auto-update changes in
the database to the catalog merge. I have to convert the database
query to a Word document every time. In Word there is the same
problem, but one can toggle fieldcodes and add a switch e.g. \@"d MMM
yyyy" to force a different format. In Publisher, this option does
not appear to exist?

How do you have the short date setup in the Regional and Language
settings in the control panel?

--
Mary Sauer MS MVP
http://office.microsoft.com/
http://msauer.mvps.org/
news://msnews.microsoft.com

I drive a Publisher catalog merge from an Access 2003 source
database. The dates in Access are formatted in European format
[dd/MM/yy] but always display in US MM/dd format - which causes
confusion e.g. 12/03 would be read in Europe as 12th March, not
December 3rd. Short of exporting the Access data to a Word or
Excel file and formatting the source data as text, I cannot find
any way to change the mergefield format [as you can easily in Word
mergefields]. Help please?

Roger Walker

Have you installed the Service Pack - it fixed some date issues for me
(before I installed it, for example, calendars started on a Sunday, now they
display correctly).

 

[RWALKERLONDON]

Thanks for your post Mary. I have the computer set up in control
panel as United Kingdom and short date is dd/MM/yy. Every other MS
office application displays dates correctly, except Publisher. It
seems that the underlying Publisher mergefield date format is MM/dd
regardless of how the source is formatted. If I convert from date to
text format it works fine, but then I can't auto-update changes in
the database to the catalog merge. I have to convert the database
query to a Word document every time. In Word there is the same
problem, but one can toggle fieldcodes and add a switch e.g. \@"d MMM
yyyy" to force a different format. In Publisher, this option does
not appear to exist?

How do you have the short date setup in the Regional and Language
settings in the control panel?

--
Mary Sauer MS MVP
http://office.microsoft.com/
http://msauer.mvps.org/
news://msnews.microsoft.com
message I drive a Publisher catalog merge from an Access 2003 source
database. The dates in Access are formatted in European format
[dd/MM/yy] but always display in US MM/dd format - which causes
confusion e.g. 12/03 would be read in Europe as 12th March, not
December 3rd. Short of exporting the Access data to a Word or
Excel file and formatting the source data as text, I cannot find
any way to change the mergefield format [as you can easily in Word
mergefields]. Help please?

Roger Walker

Have you installed the Service Pack - it fixed some date issues for me
(before I installed it, for example, calendars started on a Sunday, now they
display correctly).

--
Facon - the artificial bacon bits you get in Pizza Hut for sprinkling
on salads.

My XP and Office installs are 100% current.
Regards

Roger