[Frank]

Hi Macropod - I'm stumped!! {Mergefield Born \@ "d MMMM yyyy"} merges the
correct date of birth in Word where there is a DOB entered in the Access
field 'Born', but (tonight) produces 18 April 2008 where there is no DOB
entered.

Thanks for all your help - I will have another go tomorrow. Right now I
can't think!!

Cheers
Frank


"macropod" wrote:

Hi Frank,

It isn't Word that's inserting today's date - it's your database. For Word to display today's date, your Access field 'Born' cannot
be empty. And I'd be surprised if the date in Access is necessarily today's - I'd have expected the default date to be either the
date the record was last updated or the date the database was last saved. Either of those scenarios is beyond Word's ability to do
anything about unless there's a database field Word can test that says what the default date was for the record concerned.

However, since you're wedded to the idea that it's today's date (which could be the case if the db was last saved today or the
record was updated today), try coding the field as:
{IF{Mergefield Born \@ YYYYMMDD} {DATE \@ YYYYMMDD} {Mergefield Born \@ "d MMMM yyyy"}}
(and be careful with the spacing).

Cheers
--
macropod
[MVP - Microsoft Word]
-------------------------

"Frank" wrote in message ...
Macropod - thanks very much for responding. However, can't get your
suggestion to work.
Using: {IF{Mergefield Born}{DATE} {Mergefield Born \@ "d MMMM yyyy"}}
inserts the CURRENT date when mailmerged, UNLESS the Access field 'Born'
contains a date - in which case it merges and displays correctly.
Where the Access field 'Born' is empty (no date of birth entered) I just
want to mailmerge a blank. To my simple mind - in the example above - if I
could enter 'NOTHING' in place of DATE, that would produce what I want, but
Access isn't that simple!!
Any further advice would be appreciated - I'm beginning to despair!
Frank


"macropod" wrote:

Hi Frank,

This sounds like Access is putting today's date in as the default. Try this:
.. make a copy of the existing DOB field and place it next to the existing one, thus:
«BirthDate» «BirthDate»
.. select both DOB fields and press Ctrl-F9 to wrap them in a new field, thus:
{ «BirthDate» «BirthDate» }
.. position the cursor between the DOB fields and press Ctrl-F9 to insert a new field, thus:
{ «BirthDate» { } «BirthDate» }
.. fill in/around the DOB fields, thus:
{IF«BirthDate»{DATE} «BirthDate» }.
.. add a date switch to ensure the DATE field is formatted the same as your dates from Access are displayed, thus:
{DATE \@ dd/MM/yyyy}
.. press F9 to update the display
.. run your mailmerge.

Cheers
--
macropod
[MVP - Microsoft Word]
-------------------------

"Frank" wrote in message ...
Word merges date of birth correctly where listed in Access records. However,
if Access field is blank (no DOB entered) then Word inserts the current date.
I just want a blank entry if Access field holds no DOB.

Would be very grateful for help.
Frank