Date format -medium date input mask-French Canadian

[Guest]

I created a database and set the table date fields to Medium date and
included an input mask for the medium date 99\->L<LL\-00;0;_ I created the
database on a computer that uses English settings. I installed the database
on a computer that must have french settings. The input mask will not work.
What is the input mask for medium date in french. I know that the french have
3 and sometimes 4 letters for medium dates. Ex. January 14, 2007 is
14-Jan-07. June 14, 2007 is 14-Juin-07.
What would be the proper input mask?

 

[Joan Wild]

Bill, you will find things much easier if you don't use an input mask for a date at all. Access will interpret the user's entry based on the Regional Settings on their computer. See Allen Browne's site for working with dates:
http://www.allenbrowne.com/ser-36.html

 

[Guest]

This sounds good. The only problem is how do you know what to input if there
is no mask?

 

[Guest]

Joan:
I have found that the short date is an excellent format. If I use
00/00/0000;0;_ as an input mask do you see an inherent problems with this. By
using an input mask, the form of the data is apparent to the person
inputting. This helps when you have constantly new people inputting.

Thanks Again for your help.
Bill Depow- Fredericton, NB

 

[Joan Wild]

Yes I do see a problem. You can force the person to enter 10/07/2007, but is that Oct 7 or July 10? Although Canada has a standard date format, few actually adhere to it. I've seen a good deal of mix in Regional Settings - some are set to dd/mm/yyyy and just as many to mm/dd/yyyy.

So their entry of 10/07/2007 will be interpreted by Access according to the Regional Settings on the computer. The user might not be aware of their settings and intend something different. To further muck things up, Access will spin a date around if it doesn't conform to the Regional Settings until it does get a valid date - i.e. Regional Settings set to mm/dd/yyyy and the user enters 14/07/2007. That's not a possible date for the RS, so Access spins it to 07/14/2007 or possibly 07/07/2014. Then you'll get users claiming that 'sometimes' Access gets the date wrong.

An input mask on a date field just slows people down. You can enter 10/7 (or 7/10 if that's your RS) and Access will assume the current year. If you force the input mask, you're asking them to enter 6 more keystrokes unnecessarily. In addition, the input mask demands that they enter your 10 keystrokes. Without the mask the user has the freedom to enter the date any way they wish...
Jul 7
July 7, 2007
7/7
7/7/7
7/7/2007
will all be accepted. Even those who don't know the shortcuts in Access can still enter the date any way they wish. Over time you can train users on the quick entry methods.

What you need to be concerned with is the fact that users may not know what their RS is set to; you want to be certain that Access interprets their entry correctly. Set the format of the control to an unambiguous date format such as dd/mmm/yyyy or mmm/dd/yyyy. That way the user will see right away whether the date was taken as they intended.

 

[Guest]

That was very good/informative.
Thankas again,
Bill Depow