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

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)

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 display 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 codes, right-click the field and select Toggle Field Codes. A field without special formatting looks like this:

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 codes is: