Before I hassle Microsoft - and spend a couple of hours in a queue waiting to talk to somebody - I thought I'd ask here first.
I've just started using the latest Office suite and have encountered a date problem. I have an Excel spreadsheet containing dates in the standard UK format - for example 16/3/2011. However, when I try to mailmerge this date into a Word document it comes out in the US format - say, 03/16/2011.
Every date and language option I have (or can find) is set to UK format, in all Office programs and in Windows (7) itself. If I import the Excel file into anything else it remains in the UK format - Access, Notepad. The same data works fine in the entire 2007 Office suite, including Word.
Using 2007 is not an option, though - and I have to run this job at least once a week, every week.
I know I'm clutching at straws - but has anyone else encountered this - and know how to fix it?
Thanks!!
Any Office 2010 experts?
I don't have 2010 - I use 2007 - but whatever the version, Word will format the output depending on the format set for itself, irrespective of the input format. It sounds like whatever function is used to display the merge result in the Word merge template Date Field is defaulting to US format.
Hard to say exactly without seeing the data and merge template - especially as I don't use 2010 - but I would look closely at the Field in the Word Template that displays the merged date output and see what the default format is for that merge Date Field, or see if you can wrap that merge Date Field in Word inside a function within the merge template to convert the output to UK format.
EDIT:
This would be the field format in 2007, doubt it would be that much different in 2010:
"The Date-Time format switch (\@) specifies the display of a date or time.
For example, the switch \@ "dddd, MMMM d, yyyy" in the field { DATE \@ "dddd, MMMM d, yyyy" } displays "Friday, November 23, 2007." Combine the following date and time instructions — day (d), month (M), and year (y); hours (h) and minutes (m) — to build a date-time format. You can also include text, punctuation, and spaces."
I suspect that without Explicit instructions for the Date Field in Word 2010, it will default to US format - it does default to US Format in Word 2007 without Explicit instructions.
If that doesnt crack it, suggest you hit the help button in Word to go to on line help and search on "merge date format"
Regards
Zy
Hard to say exactly without seeing the data and merge template - especially as I don't use 2010 - but I would look closely at the Field in the Word Template that displays the merged date output and see what the default format is for that merge Date Field, or see if you can wrap that merge Date Field in Word inside a function within the merge template to convert the output to UK format.
EDIT:
This would be the field format in 2007, doubt it would be that much different in 2010:
"The Date-Time format switch (\@) specifies the display of a date or time.
For example, the switch \@ "dddd, MMMM d, yyyy" in the field { DATE \@ "dddd, MMMM d, yyyy" } displays "Friday, November 23, 2007." Combine the following date and time instructions — day (d), month (M), and year (y); hours (h) and minutes (m) — to build a date-time format. You can also include text, punctuation, and spaces."
I suspect that without Explicit instructions for the Date Field in Word 2010, it will default to US format - it does default to US Format in Word 2007 without Explicit instructions.
If that doesnt crack it, suggest you hit the help button in Word to go to on line help and search on "merge date format"
Regards
Zy
Here is a full "How To" article, doubt there will be much difference (as such) in Word 2010:
http://www.ehow.com/how_4619985_numbers ... merge.html
Regards
Zy
http://www.ehow.com/how_4619985_numbers ... merge.html
Regards
Zy