In Word, any way to add 120 days to a merged date?

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UsedBits - 15 Dec 2004 21:07 GMT

I'm trying display a date with 120 days added to it. The date is merged into
the document. The following formula {=DateAdd("d",120,{ MERGEFIELD
"ODP_DATE" } ) } simply displays the formula as a text literal with the
merged date whether or not contained in a 1x1 table.

The document reads something like this:

You have 120 days from {MERGEFIELD ODP_DATE} to return service. The new
date is {=DateAdd("d",120,{ MERGEFIELD "ODP_DATE" })}.

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Charles Kenyon - 15 Dec 2004 21:35 GMT

See the reference documents referred to at
http://addbalance.com/word/datefields2.htm

Signature

Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word

Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide

See also the MVP FAQ: http://www.mvps.org/word which is awesome!
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies
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from my ignorance and your wisdom.

> I'm trying display a date with 120 days added to it. The date is merged
> into
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> You have 120 days from {MERGEFIELD ODP_DATE} to return service. The new
> date is {=DateAdd("d",120,{ MERGEFIELD "ODP_DATE" })}.

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macropod - 16 Dec 2004 05:53 GMT

Hi UsedBits,

For a 'tutorial' with examples of how you can do this and much more than you
ever thought you might want to with dates and times, all using Word fields,
download the Word document at:
www.wopr.com/cgi-bin/w3t/showthreaded.pl?Number=249902
(url all one line)

Cheers

> I'm trying display a date with 120 days added to it. The date is merged into
> the document. The following formula {=DateAdd("d",120,{ MERGEFIELD
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> You have 120 days from {MERGEFIELD ODP_DATE} to return service. The new
> date is {=DateAdd("d",120,{ MERGEFIELD "ODP_DATE" })}.

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UsedBits - 16 Dec 2004 20:01 GMT

Charles & MacroPod,

All I can say is "Wow!" Thanks!

I first saw this kind of date arithmetic way back in the early eighties when
working on the lowly IBM system/34 RPG-based system. We had a bunch of this
stuff for doing date arithmetic, including leap year. However, not only did
I not know in Word how to 'parse the dates' as you have shown, I had
completely forgotten about all that stuff.

Oh - there is an error in the WOPR document. It incorrectly displays the
superscripted date (Insert A Date with Text using a Form Field). December
16, 2004 displays as "Thursday, the 16rd of December, 2004". The 'rd' is not
superscripted.

Again, this is an amazing piece of work. It has opened a whole new world!

Regards,
UsedBits

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macropod - 15 Dec 2004 22:10 GMT

Hi UsedBits,

I don't understand how you got "Thursday, the 16rd of December, 2004" - the
same field returns "Thursday, the 16th of December, 2004" for me, with
superscripting.

Cheers

> Charles & MacroPod,
>
[quoted text clipped - 25 lines]
> > You have 120 days from {MERGEFIELD ODP_DATE} to return service. The new
> > date is {=DateAdd("d",120,{ MERGEFIELD "ODP_DATE" })}.

Reply to this Message

UsedBits - 17 Dec 2004 01:00 GMT

Macropod,

I had to convert the formulas for American date format (MMM/DD/YYYY) to get
the date arithmetic to display as intended (per original question regarding
adding 120 days to a merged date). Could it be that the superscripting is
suffering the same fate, i.e., expecting European be receiving American
formatted dates?

At any rate, your work with the code fields is amazing. Thanks, very much
for providing it in a public forum.

Regards,
UsedBits

> Hi UsedBits,
>
[quoted text clipped - 38 lines]
> > > You have 120 days from {MERGEFIELD ODP_DATE} to return service. The new
> > > date is {=DateAdd("d",120,{ MERGEFIELD "ODP_DATE" })}.

Reply to this Message

macropod - 16 Dec 2004 06:29 GMT

Hi UsedBits,

The 'Insert A Date with Text using a Form Field' formula has nothing that
relies on European vs US date formats. So, unless you edited it (eg changing
the formula), it should work correctly regardless of your regional settings.

Cheers

> Macropod,
>
[quoted text clipped - 52 lines]
> > > > You have 120 days from {MERGEFIELD ODP_DATE} to return service. The new
> > > > date is {=DateAdd("d",120,{ MERGEFIELD "ODP_DATE" })}.

Reply to this Message

UsedBits - 17 Dec 2004 20:35 GMT

Macropod,

Copying/Pasting the superscript example into my document template and
running a merge yields the following:

Friday the 17th of December, 2004 (the 'th' is not superscripted)

Opening the DateCalc 2_41.doc (without running a merge) yields the following:

The following field expresses today in ordinal form, coupled with the day of
the week:
Friday the 17th of December, 2004 ('th' not superscripted, as expected)
or
Friday the 17rd of December, 2004 ('rd' not expected nor is it superscripted)

As a programmer, I thought the unexpected outcome should be reported.
Clearly there is something different with opening the .dot and using the .dot
to create a .doc in a merge.

The code you've provided is of tremendous value. Thank you very, very much
for having provided it and for taking the time to respond to my report. You
have opened a whole new set of possibilities for us.

> Hi UsedBits,
>
[quoted text clipped - 73 lines]
> new
> > > > > date is {=DateAdd("d",120,{ MERGEFIELD "ODP_DATE" })}.

Reply to this Message

macropod - 16 Dec 2004 22:12 GMT

Hi UsedBits,

Glad to be of help, though I still don't understand what's causing the
problem you're having with the superscripting example in 'Insert A Date with
Text using a Form Field' - I can't replicate it.

Cheers

> Macropod,
>
[quoted text clipped - 96 lines]
> > new
> > > > > > date is {=DateAdd("d",120,{ MERGEFIELD "ODP_DATE" })}.

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