This is more complicated than you might imagine, primarily
because of the way our calendar is constructed. Before your head starts
spinning, realize that the hard work has been done for you. Paul Edstein
has posted a
document with
alternative date fields with calculations on the Woody's Word board. Here is a
later
document. Chris Woodman has an Add-In you can download that will write the
fields if you want.
Because it is very difficult to keep track of where fields begin and end,
I've tried to use colored text and
highlighting in the nested fields
to show which field is where. This coloring is not in the Word documents and
could end up coloring your result text if you were to use it. In tracing a
field, look for a colored or highlighted opening field delimiter
{ and then look to the right to
see the next closing delimiter }
of the same color and highlighting. Everything in between those two delimiters
is in that field.
Here is an example of a field written in response to the
request:
I need to create a fiscal year field in Word 97 that
accomplishes in Word what the following statement accomplished in English:
If today's month and day are less than or equal to June 30, display the
current year, else display current year + 1.
{ IF
{ DATE \@ "MM" }
< 07
{ DATE \@ "yyyy" }
{
=
{ DATE \@ "yyyy" }+1
\# "0000" }
}
If today were January 31, 2001, The following expression using
that field would display: "June 30, 2001" where the year is the field and the
rest of the date is regular typed text. If today were July 1, 2001, the same
expression would display as "June 30, 2002." Please note that the field
above only produces the year; you'll need to put in the rest of the date on your
own. You probably want to be using the CREATEDATE field instead of the date
field, as well. For more on this, see Using Date
Fields in Microsoft Word.
Remember that you must have Word insert the {braces}. Use
(Ctrl+F9) when writing fields; typing them won't work.
Here's a head-spinner!
What follows is a field that gives you the date two weeks from the day a
document is created, in regular written English format:
Creation date: July 9, 2001 - desired field
result = July 23, 2001
Creation date: July 23, 2001 - desired field result = August 6, 2001
Creation date: December 20, 2001 - desired field result = January 3,
2002
Creation date: February 27, 2003 - desired field result = March 12, 2003
Creation date: February 27, 2004 - desired field date result = March 11, 2004
{
QUOTE "{ SET
" Delay" "14"
}
{ SET "DaysInMonth" {
IF { CreateDate \@ "MM" }
<> 2
{ = ROUND(30.575*{
CreateDate \@ "MM" },0)-
ROUND(30.575*{ = {
CreateDate \@
"MM" }
-1 },0)
}
{ IF
{ = MOD(
{
CreateDate \@"yy" }
, 4 ) } > 0 "28" "29" } }
}
{ SET "NextMonth"
{
IF {
CreateDate \@ "MM" }
= 12 "1/97"
"{ =
{ CreateDate \@ "MM" }
+ 1 }/97 } }
{ IF
{
= { REF "Delay" } +
{ CreateDate \@ "dd" } }
<= { REF"DaysInMonth" }
{
CreateDate \@ "MMMM { =
{ REF "Delay"
} +
{
CreateDate \@ "dd" } }, yyyy"}{
QUOTE { NextMonth \@ "MMMM" }
{ = { REF "Delay" } +
{ CreateDate \@ "dd" } -
{ REF"DaysInMonth" }
},
{ IF {
CreateDate \@ "MM" }
<> 12 { CreateDate \@ "yyyy" }
{ CreateDate \@ "{
= 1 + {
CreateDate \@
"yyyy" } \#
"xxxx" }"
}
} }
}" }
The colors in the sample field above represent my attempt to
match field delimiters and show nesting of fields. Line breaks have been added
for clarity and should not be a part of the actual field. I added these
modifications help illustrate what the field looks like. Those fields
shown in green contain no nested fields but may
contain references to bookmark values set by other fields. Do not try to
copy the field from this page; instead you can download a
document
containing the actual field if you want.
This field was produced by a macro written by Chris Woodman as an Add-In. It
allows insertion of such a calculated date field (up to 28 days before or after
the current date) field into a Word template in Word 6/7 97/2000/2002. It is
easy to use and works well. I sure wouldn't want to try constructing these
fields by hand! You can download the Add-In template and read the explanation
at:
http://www.chriswoodman.co.uk/Delayed Dates.htm
Alternative download from CompuServe
Paul Edstein has posted a
document with
alternative date fields with calculations on the Woody's Word board. These are
more flexible than Chris Woodman's fields. Here is an alternative
document.
Q: Can I use a date other than one of the date
fields? i.e. a date that is in response to an ASK prompt?
A: Yes. Pick your bookmark name for the ASK field
and generate that field. Then generate the complex date field using Woodman's
Add-In. Then Alt+F9 to reveal field codes and, within your field, replace
CreateDate with the name of your bookmark. Press AltF9 again to hide the codes.
What follows is such combination of an ASK field together with a modified field
giving a date 7 days before the date given in response to the ASK prompt.
These are suitable for use in a mailmerge.
{ ASK MyDate
"What is the court date?" \d "December 24, 2005" }
{ QUOTE
{ SET Delay "7" }
{ SET "NextPrevMonth"
{ IF { MYDATE \@ "MM" }
= 1 "12/97" "{ = {
MYDATE \@ "MM" } - 1 }/97"
} }
{ SET "DaysInMonth"
{ IF {
NextPrevMonth \@ "MM" } <> 2
{ = INT(30575*{
NextPrevMonth \@ "MM" }/1000+1/2)-INT(30575*{
= { NextPrevMonth \@ "MM" }
- 1 }/1000+1/2) }{
IF { = INT({
MYDATE \@"yy" }/4 ) }
= { = { MYDATE
\@"yy" }/4 }"29"
"28" } }
}
{ IF
{ = {
MYDATE \@ "dd" } -
{ REF Delay }
}
> 0
{ QUOTE
{ MYDATE \@ "MMMM" }" "{
= { MYDATE \@ "dd" }
- { REF Delay \* MERGEFORMAT }
\# "0" }", "{
MYDATE \@ "yyyy" }"" }
{ QUOTE
{ NextPrevMonth \@ "MMMM" }" "{
= { MYDATE \@ "dd" }
- { REF Delay \* MERGEFORMAT }
+ { DaysInMonth }
\# "0" }
", "{
IF { MYDATE \@ "MM" }
<> 1 { MYDATE \@ "yyyy" }{
= { MYDATE \@ "yyyy" }
- 1 \# "xxxx" } }""
}
}
}
You can also keep such fields as AutoText entries in a global
template so that you only have to create them once. See my
AutoText / AutoCorrect chapter
for more on saving fields as AutoText.
So much for fields.
Now for a discussion of VBA:
Calculated dates are easiest performed by a short macro -
Selection.InsertBefore Format((Date + 14), "d MMMM yyyy")
will enter the current date + 14 at the cursor.
A {CREATEDATE \@ "d MMMM yyyy"} field will set the current
date in the same format.
So how to automatically place the calculated date?
The method I tend to prefer is to use a bookmark in
conjunction with an AutoNew macro that runs automatically on creating the new
document from the invoice template.
Bookmark the place the due date will appear. Call the bookmark
'DueDate'.
You need an extra line of code for the macro to locate the
bookmark, and you may need to change the date mask to suit local requirements.
As printed below it will type '12 September 2000'
Selection.GoTo What:=wdGoToBookmark, Name:="DueDate"
Selection.InsertBefore Format((Date + 14), "d MMMM yyyy")
(for instructions on how to insert a macro, see
Macros and VBA)
(for more on date formatting, see
Using Date Fields in Microsoft Word)
--
For a flexible alternative, here is a macro that prompts for
the number of days and can add or subtract days:
Sub InsertFutureDate()
' Written by Graham Mayor and posted on the word.docmanagement
' newsgroup in March 2000
' Inserts a future date in a document - note that this is not a field
' Some style revisions and error handler by Charles Kenyon
'
Dim Message As String
Dim Mask As String
Dim Title As String
Dim Default As String
Dim Date1 As String
Dim MyValue As Variant
Dim MyText As String
Dim Var1 As String
Dim Var2 As String
Dim Var3 As String
Dim Var4 As String
Dim Var5 As String
Dim Var6 As String
Dim Var7 As String
Dim Var8 As String
'
Mask = "d MMMM yyyy" ' Set Date format
Default = "60" ' Set default.
Title = "Plus or minus date starting with " & Format(Date, Mask)
Date1 = Format(Date, Mask)
Var1 = "Enter number of days by which to vary above date. " _
& "The number entered will be added to "
Var2 = Format(Date + Default, Mask) ' Today plus default (60)
Var3 = Format(Date - Default, Mask) ' Today minus default (60)
Var4 = ". The default ("
Var5 = ") will produce the date "
Var6 = ". Minus (-"
Var7 = ". Entering '0' (zero) will insert "
Var8 = " (today). Click cancel to quit."
MyText = Var1 & Date1 & Var4 & Default & Var5 & Var2 & Var6 _
& Default & Var5 & Var3 & Var7 & Date1 & Var8
'
' Display InputBox and get number of days
GetInput:
MyValue = InputBox(MyText, Title, Default)
'
If MyValue = "" Then
End 'quit subroutine
End If
'
On Error GoTo Oops ' just in case user typed non-number
Selection.InsertBefore Format((Date + MyValue), Mask)
Selection.Collapse (wdCollapseEnd)
End 'End subroutine
'
Oops: ' error handler in case user types something other than a number
'
MsgBox Prompt:="Sorry, only a number will work, please try again.", _
Buttons:=vbExclamation, _
Title:="A number is needed here."
GoTo GetInput
End Sub--
\ \\ // /
( @ @ )
----oOOO----(_)----OOOo-----
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>>< ><<>
Graham Mayor
(for instructions on how to insert a macro, see
Macros and VBA)
(for more on date formatting, see
Using Date Fields in Microsoft Word)
You may want to look at:
www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/MacrosVBA/DateOfPrevMonth.htm
by three of the Word MVPs for more on calculated dates in VBA.
Rob asked:
I have created a template that requires a date from to date to field. e.g.
12/1/00 to 12/7/00. Basically I want it to be the weeks beginning date
to the weeks ending date. I want this data automatically filled each
time the user creates a new document using the template.
Does anyone have any ideas on how to do this?
Thanks
Rob
------------
Answer 1
You need to add two things to your template - a bookmark called Date (you
can call it anything you like, but you'll have to change the reference in
the code) and a macro called AutoNew which runs when you create a new
document based on the template. It seeks out your bookmark and writes the
date in the format at that location. Here it adds 90 days, but you can
change the 90 to anything else you like.
11/8/00 to 9/11/00
Sub AutoNew()
Selection.GoTo What:=wdGoToBookmark, Name:="Date"
Selection.InsertBefore Format((Date), "d/m/yy")
Selection.InsertAfter " to "
Selection.InsertAfter Format((Date + 90), "d/m/yy")
End Sub
--
\ \\ // /
( @ @ )
----oOOO----(_)----OOOo-----
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>>< ><<>
Graham Mayor <gmayor@mvps.org>
The five ages of man:
Lager.. Aga .. Viagra .. Saga .. Gaga
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>>< ><<>
-----------
Answer 2
I think Robert is wanting to return the date the week started on and the date
the week will end on, like from Sunday to Saturday. However I just looked at
the example dates. They are Friday to Thursday - so now I really don't know.
<grin>
Anyway Robert, if you are wanting a week start date then a function is
needed to determine the weekday and then subtract the appropriate number of
days from the current date. I modified Graham's macro slightly to include
the result of the function and changed the name of the bookmark.
For the function I used Sunday as the starting date and Saturday as the
ending date. Should you want to use other days of the week then it's just a
matter of changing the current date calculation for the Case. Case 1 is
Sunday, Case 7 is Saturday. So for example if you wanted the starting date
to be Monday, then Case 1 would be WeekStart = Date - 6, Case 2 would be
WeekStart = Date, etc.
Function WeekStart() As Date
Dim wday As Byte
wday = WeekDay(Date)
Select Case wday
Case 1
WeekStart = Date
Case 2
WeekStart = Date - 1
Case 3
WeekStart = Date - 2
Case 4
WeekStart = Date - 3
Case 5
WeekStart = Date - 4
Case 6
WeekStart = Date - 5
Case 7
WeekStart = Date - 6
End Select
End Function
Sub AutoNew()
Selection.GoTo What:=wdGoToBookmark, Name:="wDate"
Selection.InsertBefore Format(WeekStart(), "d/m/yy")
Selection.InsertAfter " to "
Selection.InsertAfter Format(WeekStart() + 7, "d/m/yy")
End Sub
~~~~~~~~~~~
Hope this helps,
Beth Melton, Microsoft Office MVP
I write a lot of two to four page reports. I would like to have a header on
the first page of these documents which shows the name of my one-person
company, the address, and the telephone number.
I can create a header, but it always prints beginning 1 inch from the top
of the page. This is the case even though when I am creating the header I set
the top margin at .2 inches from the top.
Is there a way to set the header to print beginning at .2" from the
top, with the subsequent pages all printing starting at 1" from the top?
I think you must be typing your header at the top of the text area instead
of in the header area. Set your Top margin for where you want the text to
start on subsequent pages. Then set the Header margin for .2" and use View
č
Header and Footer to get into the header pane, where you can type your
header text.
Note that this text will repeat on every page if you insert it into the
default Header. So before you type, click the Page Setup button on the
Header/Footer toolbar and choose "Different first page." You'll then
be in the First Page Header, where you can type the header information you
want to appear just on the first page.
If you want a page number or any other kind of header/footer information on
subsequent pages, type that information into the header or footer before
selecting "Different first page."
Suzanne S. Barnhill
