Tip of the Month:  May 2007

Microsoft Word: Changing the default Date field format

Word comes equipped with a collection of field codes you can use to automatically generate document information. One of the most commonly used Word fields is the Date field, which generates today's date.

The quickest way to insert a Date field in your document is by going to the Insert menu and selecting Date And Time. In the Date And Time dialog box's Available Formats list, choose the date format you'd like Word to use, and then click OK to insert the field in your document.

However, other Word features that employ the Date field, such as AutoText and the Field dialog box, don't make it so easy to choose the date format you'd like them to use. When you don't specify a date format, Word uses the default date format, which might not be what you want. Here is how you change Word’s default date format.

1. From the Insert menu, select Date And Time.
2. Select the format you'd like to use as the default, and then click the Default button.
3. When Word asks whether you'd like to set the default format to the setting you chose, click Yes.
4. Finally, click OK to insert your date field using the new default setting.

If you have any questions regarding this tip or need help implementing it in your own projects, contact Ranelle Maltas, Application Support Associate, at 472-0585 or e-mail at rmaltas2@unl.edu.