Using the Date Sheet

The Date sheet of the Field Properties dialog is displayed when you click the Date tab. (The Date tab is visible only when you are working with the properties of a date or timestamp field.) Use the Date sheet to override the default date formats for the current field, if required.

You can use separator text for some date formats, to a maximum of three characters. If the separator text contains any of the characters d, M, y, g, h, H, m, s, or t, they are removed. The apostrophe character (’) is not displayed as such when used as a separator character.

Date formats have system default values, but you can set your own report-wide default values by using the Report Properties dialog, if required. (For details about setting date defaults, see "Setting Report Properties" under "Using Administrative Functions", earlier in this chapter.)

An example of the Date sheet is shown in the following image.

This image shows the Field Properties dialog when a date field is selected. A timestamp field displays both the date and time. For a timestamp field, the Show Time, Date Then Time, and Date/Time Separator controls are also visible on the Date sheet.

To change the properties on the Date sheet of the Field Properties dialog

1. Check the Use Default Format check box to reset all of the Date formats to the default values. If you select this option, the report default values or the system default values are displayed and take effect. For details about setting date default formats, see "Setting Report Properties" under "Using Administrative Functions", earlier in this chapter.

   The Use Default Format check box is checked by default. If you make any changes to the format of a date on this dialog, the Use System Default check box automatically unchecks itself, indicating that the report defaults are no longer being used. Alternatively, to begin making your changes, you can manually uncheck this check box. The Sample Field group box at the bottom of the sheet displays an example of the selected format.

2. Select the Use Short Date option button if you want the date printed in the short date format. The short date format does not include the day name and does not separate the day, month, and year; for example, 230714. Select the Use Long Date option button if you want the date displayed in the long date format. The long date format includes the day name; for example, Tuesday 28 August 2004. There are some differences in the remaining controls on this dialog, depending on the option that you select and whether you have selected a date field or a timestamp field.

3. To display the date portion of the timestamp before the time portion or a timestamp field, check the Date Then Time check box. This check box is not visible for a date field. It is enabled only if the timestamp field displays both date and time.

4. To display the date portion of the timestamp for a timestamp field, check the Show Date check box. This check box is not visible for a date field.

5. To separate the time portion of the timestamp from the date portion in the Date/Time Separator text box for a timestamp field, enter the character or characters to use as a separator or separators, to a maximum of five characters. This text box is not visible for a date field.

6. In the Order list box, select how you want the date order printed; that is, the sequence of day, month, and year.

7. In the Separator text box (displayed only if you selected Use Short Date in step 2), enter the character that you want to use to separate the numbers of your short date format.

8. In the Day Name list box (displayed only if you selected Use Long Date in step 2), select the way in which you want the day of the week printed. Select the full day name or the day name abbreviated to the first three letters of the day name; for example, Wed for Wednesday.

9. In the Day list box, select the way in which you want the day number printed when the day number is less than 10. Select the option to print the leading zero (0) or not to print the leading zero. If you selected Use Long Date in step 2, enter the character or characters that you want to separate the day name from the day number in the text box at the far right of the Day list box.

10. In the Month list box, select the way in which you want the month printed.

    If you selected Use Short Date in step 2, select the way in which you want the month number printed when the month number is less than 10. Select the option to print the leading zero (0) or not to print the leading zero.

    If you selected Use Long Date in step 2, select the way in which you want the month printed; for example, September or 09.

    If you want to print the name of the month, select the full or the abbreviated name (that is, the first three characters; for example, Sep).

    If you want the month number printed, select the option to print months less than 10 with or without a leading zero (0).

11. If you selected Use Long Date in step 2, enter the character or characters that you want to separate the day number from the month in the Day Separator text box.

    A space is used if you do not enter a character in this text box. The character that you enter replaces the space; for example, if you enter a comma character (,), a comma character alone is printed between the parts of the date.

12. In the Year list box, select the way in which you want the year printed. Select the four-digit format or the two-digit format (for example, 2004 or 04).

13. If you selected Use Long Date in step 2, enter the character or characters that you want to separate the month from the year in the Date Separator text box. If you do not enter a character in this text box, a space used. The character that you enter replaces the space; for example, if you enter a comma character (,), a comma character alone is printed between the parts of the date.

14. Click another tab if you want to make changes on other sheets of the Field Properties dialog.

15. Click the Apply button to apply the changes you have made or click the Close button to close the Report Formats dialog.

    To save the recent changes when you close the dialog, you must click the Apply button immediately prior to closing the dialog. To abandon any changes that you have made but not yet applied, do not click the Apply button immediately prior to clicking the Close button.