Formatting Merge Fields

When you create a merge field in Microsoft Word, 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. OfficeWriter supports most text, date, and time formats available in Microsoft Word.

• General Text Formatting Options
• Date and Time Formatting Options

This section explains how to apply merge field formatting by adding format switches to the field codes. You can also apply all standard formatting (bold, italic, underline, etc.) to merge fields from Word's Format menu or toolbar.

General Text Formatting Options

After you've added a merge field using the OfficeWriter toolbar's *Insert Merge Field* button, you may apply formatting. There are two ways to add field code formatting: from the dialog box Word provides or by typing the codes directly into the merge field.
To type the codes directly into the field tag, you must make sure the field codes are visible. If the field displayed in the report does not begin with " {MERGEFIELD", click the field and press SHIFT+F9 or right-click the field and select Toggle Field Codes. This will toggle viewing the entire field tag or an abbreviation. Once you have the entire tag visible you can type the codes below at the end of the tag as shown.

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.

Let's look at adding codes via the Word dialog box.

The Field Dialog in Microsoft Word (XP)

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

• 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:

• 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* or click on the field and press SHIFT+F9. (You can display the entire report's codes by pressing ALT+F9). A field without special formatting looks like this: {MERGEFIELD FieldName}

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: {MERGEFIELD FieldName \@ "Formatting Pattern"}