Letting Word enter a date or time for users is easy, but that can lead to frustration when Word doesn't perform as expected. Teach users about the less obvious aspects of these features or give them a macro.
Word offers a couple of features for entering the current date and time, but they can confuse users. With just a little training, you can eliminate that confusion. Or you can provide a couple of macros that do exactly what your users need, without the confusion the built-in features sometimes cause.
You can use the Date And Time command or AutoComplete to enter the current date or time anywhere in a document. First, let's take a look at the Date And Time command.
Basically, you just choose Date And Time from the Insert menu, choose a format, and click OK. However, there are a few things you need to know:
- If you want the date to automatically update, you must check the Update Automatically option in the Date And Time dialog box.
- The Update Automatically setting is a toggle switch. Once you select it, it stays enabled until you deselect it — and that can create confusion for users. They think they know what the setting is, so they don't check. Later, they're frustrated when the inserted value doesn't perform as expected.
- The term automatically update is a bit deceptive. The inserted date will reflect the current date or time when you open the document. But if the date changes while the document is open, Word won't reflect that change. You can force the change by right-clicking the value and choosing Update Field from the context menu, but most users won't know that. Even if you tell them, they might not remember that detail when they need it.
- Enter the first four letters of any month and press [Enter], and Word will complete the month. For instance, if you type Janu and press [Enter], Word will enter January for you.
- To enter the current date, enter the full month, type a space, and press [Enter].
