[Solved] Insert date results "Date (Fixed)"

[sandycon]

I am using Windows XP and OOO 2.4.0

In a writer document I wish to put a date formated with the day, mmmm dd,yyyy.

I select insert, field, date then a field appears in the document with the text Date (Fixed). This happens in both regular document and a table.

When I double click the 'date (fixed)' field, a dialog box opens where I select the format desired and click OK. That returns me to the document and the field is not changed.

If I type in Sunday, June 1, 2008 in a blank writer document it stays correct, however in a table Sunday, June 1, 2008 is automatically changed to 06/01/08. To correct the 06/01/08 entry I must select the entire date, right click and select number format, select date then select the desired format and click OK. This is very frustrating since I typed the correct format in the first place.

Please help.

Sandy

[acknak]

First, see that you have View > Field Names = NO (unchecked). If that option is ON, then all you'll see is the name of the field ("Date") and not it's value.

Second, although it's perfectly reasonable to expect that a date field will act the way you want, it doesn't. Writer's date field is for inserting one specific date: either the date that the field was created (i.e. "Date(fixed)"), or the date that the document is used (plain "Date"). Once inserted, you can't go back and change it to some arbitrary date: the fixed date is fixed; the regular date is automatic.

Finally, when you enter something in a table, Writer (by default) tries to recognize different kinds of data and then take some action automatically, depending on what kind of data was entered. When you enter Sunday, June 1, 2008, Writer recognizes that as a date, converts it to an internal number value, then displays that value using the default date format for your location, which is "6/1/08".

Hopefully that solves some of the mystery, but I think you'll have to tell us exactly what you want to accomplish with this date field before we can suggest a good way to do it.

[sandycon]

Thank you so much!

I unchecked field names in the view menu and now a date appears. Sure wish I could change the default to they style I like. But at least I get a date now and with a double click can open the window and change the format.

no more frustration. . .

You folks are GREAT!

[JohnV]

Sure wish I could change the default to they style I like.

Insert the date with the format you want. Select this field, do Ctrl+F3 and make an AutoText enter for it.

[Hagar Delest]

See here: Auto-Complete.

Thanks to add '[Solved]' at beginning of your first post title (edit button) if your issue has been fixed.