Dates in templates

[john9210]

I want to change my normal template so the header displays the new document
creation date without updating. That is, when I create a new document, the
date should be the date the document is created, but does not get updated
every time I open the document. When I use the createdate field, the date
displayed is the date the template was created, not the new document!

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

If you've put a CreateDate field in your template, then that's the best you
can do, short of a macro (which I think would be overkill). When you update
fields (with F9 or by printing or switching to Print Preview), the date will
be updated to the creation date of the document.

Note, however, that it is probably not a good idea to put any sort of field
in the Normal template, especially not in the header (you should avoid
putting *anything* in the header or footer of Normal.dot, as it will
adversely affect labels); you should create a specific document template for
this purpose.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[Twayne]

In

I want to change my normal template so the header displays the new
document creation date without updating. That is, when I create a new
document, the date should be the date the document is created, but
does not get updated every time I open the document. When I use the
createdate field, the date displayed is the date the template was
created, not the new document!

See Suzanne's comments re making a new template; she has a valid point.

In the documents created from the template: You could use createdate, then
do a Cut/Paste Special to put the date back as unformatted text. It won't
change that way.

AFAIK there is no way to do what you want to do in the template. A macro
could do it, but I don't know how to write such a thing.


HTH,

Twayne

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I think you've misunderstood what the OP asked. He wants the CreateDate
field to update to the current date automatically (once, on creation of the
document). This does not happen when you create a document based on a
template containing a CreateDate field. The field is updated when you print,
Print Preview, or manually update fields. There is no need to cut/paste the
field as plain text; you could merely unlink it using Ctrl+Shift+F9, but
this would defeat the purpose if it had not yet been updated to the current
date, as it would then reflect the creation date of the template rather than
the document.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[Twayne]

In

I think you've misunderstood what the OP asked. He wants the
CreateDate field to update to the current date automatically (once,
on creation of the document). This does not happen when you create a
document based on a template containing a CreateDate field. The field
is updated when you print, Print Preview, or manually update fields.
There is no need to cut/paste the field as plain text; you could
merely unlink it using Ctrl+Shift+F9, but this would defeat the
purpose if it had not yet been updated to the current date, as it
would then reflect the creation date of the template rather than the
document.

No, I didn't misunderstand, but unlinking is a better & easier way to do it.

Good catch.

HTH,

Twayne

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Unlinking might be a better way to do it, but it is pointless and
counterproductive in this instance. What the OP wants is the date the
document was created. What he is seeing in the document when it is created
is the creation date of the template. If he unlinks that field, then he
doesn't have the date he wants. If, instead, he updates the field (F9
instead of Shift+F9), then he will have the result he wants, it will never
thereafter change, and unlinking is quite unnecessary.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[Graham Mayor]

If you have a CREATEDATE field in a template, then the creation date of the
template will always display if the template is opened in Word. However new
documents created from the template will display the creation dates of the
new documents. It should do this without any requirement to update the field
in the new document. However merely opening the template in Word, filling it
with data to save with a new name (a practice that some seem to find normal)
will show the template creation date until the document is SavedAs with a
new name and the field updated.

To demonstrate the premise, open an existing template in Word. Add a
createdate field to the header and save the template (not SAVEAS!). Now
create a new document from the template. It should immediately show today's
date. You can now remove the temporary createdate field from your
template.and save it again.

If a new document is created from a template with a createdate field and the
field is not showing the date the document was created a fault condition is
suggested. In those circumstances, I would be looking to
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/AppErrors/ProblemsStartingWord.htm and
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/921541

--
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Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I see now that you are right, but I could have sworn that I had some
templates that create documents on which the date is not correct until I
print. A brief trial doesn't turn up any of these templates, however, so I
stand corrected.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[Peter Jamieson]

That can certainly still happen in Word 2007 if the "template" is
actually a .docx, rather than a .dotx. While I am reasonably sure /you/
would always work from a proper template, others might not. The thing is
that when you choose Office button-New, the items listed under "Recently
used templates" may be .docx files as well as .dotx files, and may not
list extensions depending on other settings. If you select a .docx
rather than a .dotx and click Create, the existing value of a CREATEDATE
field is not updated until you perfomr one of the actions that you would
expect to update it (select, then F9 etc.).

Peter Jamieson

http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Yes, and though I was ashamed to say so, I think my recollection may have
been based on use of (certain) documents as the basis for new ones (for
example, there's a particular invoice statement that is easier to create
this way because the wording is slightly different from that in my invoice
template).

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org