SoftArtisans WordWriter Guide

Formatting Merge Fields

When you create a merge field in Microsoft Word (see Creating a WordWriter Template), you can apply formatting to the field. For example, you can set a merge field's format to "Uppercase" to display the field's value in uppercase letters. WordWriter supports most text, date, and time formats available in Microsoft Word.

General Text Formatting Options
Date and Time Formatting Options
Example: Using a Template with Formatted Merge Fields
Formatting Options Not Supported in WordWriter 1.0

General Text Formatting Options

The Field dialog opens when you add a new merge field to a template. To open the dialog for an existing merge field, right-click the field and select Edit Field...

The following text formatting options can be set within Microsoft Word's Field dialog, or by entering formatting codes within the merge field:

Uppercase
Displays the merge field's value in uppercase letters.
Lowercase
Displays the merge field's value in lowercase letters.
First capital
Capitalizes the first letter of the first word in the field.
Title case
Capitalizes the first letter of each word in the field.
Text Before
Inserts a specified phrase before the merge field value.
Text After
Inserts a specified phrase after the merge field value.

The Field Dialog in Microsoft Word 2002 (XP)

WordWriter 1.0 does not support the following formatting options: Mapped field, Vertical formatting, and NumberedItem.

To set a merge field's formatting to Uppercase, Lowercase, Title case, or First capital using the Field dialog:

The Field dialog opens automatically when you insert a new merge field. If you are formatting an existing merge field, right-click the merge field and select Edit Field...
From the Format list select a format. For example, select Uppercase.

To display text before and/or after a merge field value:

The Field dialog opens automatically when you insert a new merge field. If you are formatting an existing merge field, right-click the merge field and select Edit Field...
Check Text to be inserted before and/or Text to be inserted after.
In the Text Before text box, enter a phrase to display before the merge field value, and/or, in the Text After text box, enter a phrase to dispay after the merge field value.

You can also set these formatting options by entering special codes in the merge field. To view and edit a merge field's field codes, right-click the field and select Toggle Field Codes. A field without special formatting looks like this:

	{MERGEFIELD FieldName}

Format	Field Codes	Example
Uppercase	{MERGEFIELD FieldName \* Upper}	{MERGEFIELD ProductName \* Upper}
Lowercase	{MERGEFIELD FieldName \* Lower}	{MERGEFIELD ProductName \* Lower}
First capital	{MERGEFIELD FieldName \* FirstCap}	{MERGEFIELD ProductName \* FirstCap}
Title case	{MERGEFIELD FieldName \* Caps}	{MERGEFIELD ProductName \* Caps}
Text Before	{MERGEFIELD FieldName \b "Text to insert before"}	{MERGEFIELD OrderDate \b "Order Date: "}
Text After	{MERGEFIELD FieldName \f "Text to insert after"}	{MERGEFIELD OrderDate \f " (Order Date)"}

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Date and Time Formatting Options

Using field codes, you can apply date/time formatting to merge fields that will bind to database fields of types Date, Time, and Timestamp, or to an object of type System.DateTime. The general format for applying date/time format codes is:

	{MERGEFIELD FieldName \@ "Formatting Pattern"}

Date/Time Format Code	Description	Field Code Example	Output Example
Day
d	Displays the day of the week or month as a number. Single digit day numbers will not include a leading zero.	{MERGEFIELD Date \@ "M/d/yyyy"}	4/7/2003
dd	Displays the day of the week or month as a number. Single digit day numbers will include a leading zero.	{MERGEFIELD Date \@ "d MMMM yyyy"}	07 April 2003
ddd	Displays a three-letter abbreviation for the day of the week.	{MERGEFIELD Date \@ "ddd, d-MMM-yy"}	Mon, 7-Apr-03
dddd	Displays the full name of the day of the week.	{MERGEFIELD Date \@ "dddd, MMMM d, yyyy"}	Monday, April 7, 2003
Month (Use uppercase M for months, lowercase m for minutes)
M	Displays the month as a number. Single digit month numbers will not include a leading zero.	{MERGEFIELD Date \@ "M/d/yy"}	4/7/03
MM	Displays the month as a number. Single digit month numbers will include a leading zero.	{MERGEFIELD Date \@ "yyyy-MM-dd"}	2003-O4-07
MMM	Displays a three-letter month abbreviation.	{MERGEFIELD Date \@ "MMM-yy"}	Apr-03
MMMM	Displays the full month name	{MERGEFIELD Date \@ "MMMM d, yyyy"}	April 7, 2003
Year
yy	Displays a two-digit year number. For years 1-9, the year number will include a leading zero.	{MERGEFIELD Date \@ "MMM-yy"}	Apr-03
yyyy	Displays a four digit year number	{MERGEFIELD Date \@ "MMMM d, yyyy"}	April 7, 2003
Hours
h	Use lowercase h to display times based on the 12-hour clock. Lowercase h displays single-digit hours as single-digit numbers, without a leading zero.	{MERGEFIELD Time \@ "h:mm"}	6:05
hh	Use lowercase hh to display times based on the 12-hour clock. Lowercase hh displays single-digit hours with a leading zero.	{MERGEFIELD Time \@ "hh:mm am/pm"}	06:05 am
H	Use uppercase H to display times based on the 24-hour clock (military clock). Uppercase H displays single-digit hours as single-digit numbers, without a leading zero.	{MERGEFIELD Time \@ "H:mm"}	7:05
HH	Use uppercase HH to display times based on the 24-hour clock (military clock). Uppercase HH displays single-digit hours with a leading zero.	{MERGEFIELD Time \@ "HH:mm"}	18:30
Minutes (Use lowercase m for minutes, uppercase M for months)
m	Displays single-digit minutes without a leading zero.	{MERGEFIELD Time \@ "m 'minutes'"}	2 minutes
mm	Displays single-digit minutes with a leading zero.	{MERGEFIELD Time \@ "hh:mm am/pm"}	06:05 am
AM & PM
AM/PM	Displays uppercase AM or PM.	{MERGEFIELD Time \@ "hh:mm AM/PM"}	08:30 PM
am/pm	Displays lowercase am or pm.	{MERGEFIELD Time \@ "hh:mm am/pm"}	07:55 am
Other Text
'text'	To display text within a date or time, enclose the text in single quotation marks.	{MERGEFIELD Date \@ "hh:mm 'EST'"}	06:15 EST
character	To include a character, such as - (hyphen), in a date or time, do not enclose in quotation marks.	{MERGEFIELD Date \@ "MMM-yy"}	Apr-03

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Example: Using a Template with Formatted Merge Fields

The following examples generate a Word file from a template that contains merge fields with date and currency formatting. To see (or hide) a merge field's formatting codes:

Click View Template.

Right-click within a merge field and select Toggle Field Codes.

VB.NET Example

Intermediate/Formatting/Formatting-vb.aspx

[View Source]

[View Template]

C# Example

Intermediate/Formatting/Formatting-cs.aspx

[View Source]

[View Template]

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Formatting Options Not Supported in WordWriter 1.0

WordWriter 1.0 does not support the Microsoft Word following formatting options:

Mapped field
Vertical formatting
NumberedItem

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