problem with date format when merging

[p732]

Today I was using a merge file set up in excel and merging to a Word
document.

In the finished Word document all the dates of birth had been altered from
the dd/mm/yyyy format which we use here in New Zealand, to mm/dd/yyyy.

No matter what I did it persisted in changing them round. I have never run
up against this problem before, has anyone any ideas of how I can fix it?

We are running Windows 2000 Prof, Office 2003.
Can you please reply to the group? Many thanks
P

 

[Dave Peterson]

Debra Dalgleish posted this for a different question:

In the Mail Merge, after you select your Excel file as a data source,
you should see a 'Confirm Data Source' dialog box.
(If you don't see the dialog box, change the setting in Word --
under Tools>Options, General -- add a check mark to
'Confirm Conversion at Open')

From that list, choose 'MS Excel Worksheets via DDE (*.xls)', and your
formatting will be retained.

If you have to connect through a different source, you can format the
fields in the Word document. For example, to specify a number of decimals:

1. In Word, in the Main Document, press Alt+F9 to view the field codes.
2. Find the field code for the number. It will look something like:
{ MERGEFIELD FieldName }
3. Add a switch, to format the number with two decimal places.
For example:
{ MERGEFIELD FieldName \# "#,##0.00" }
4. Press Alt+F9 to hide the field codes.
5. Save the Main Document

(I bet you could modify it for your situation.)

 

[p732]

Thank you for your answer Dave, I have printed it off to try. I found a
work-round (after typing 165 birthdates in by hand!) by changing the date
format from slashes to dots; 15/08/95 to 15.08.95 the merge worked and the
date stayed in, what is for us, the correct configuration.

Thank you again
P

 

[Dave Peterson]

Another not so nice (but easier than what you did) way:

Use another column and a formula:

=text(a1,"dd.mm.yy")
(or any format you like)
This field would be treated as text--not a date.

And use that column in your merge.

Sorry.