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#1
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problem with date format when merging
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 |
#2
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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 ToolsOptions, 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 wrote: 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 |
#3
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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" wrote in message ... 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 ToolsOptions, 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 wrote: 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 |
#4
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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. p732 wrote: 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" wrote in message ... 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 ToolsOptions, 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 wrote: 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 -- Dave Peterson |
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