### Date tab

Use the Date tab (click Customize on the Date / Time tab of the Format Editor) to set detailed formatting options for date fields in your report.

##### Date Type

The Regional Settings dialog box in the Windows Control Panel allows you to specify default date formats for use with any Windows program. You can specify the month/day/year separator and the order in which the date elements appear. These dialog boxes also allow you to specify a short date style (like 12/24/96 or 16 Mar, 1996) and a long date style (like Sunday, April 21, 1996).

This list lets you:

- choose one of the two default styles
- choose Custom to create your own style in the Format Editor.

Select the option that fits your needs. The program modifies the sample date at the bottom of the dialog box to demonstrate the style you have chosen.

##### Calendar Type

If you are using Windows NT/95/98 your operating system may support more than one calendar type. For instance, your operating system may support a native calendar (Japanese), a Gregorian calendar (in the local language) and a Gregorian English calendar. If your operating system supports multiple calendar types you may use the Calendar Type list to select a calendar type for the date field.

##### Month

If you want to create a custom format for a date field object, use this list to specify the way you want the program to print/display the month part of the date. Your options are:

3 | Prints a month as a number. If the month number is only a single digit, it prints the number without a leading zero.
03 | Prints the month as a number. If the month number is only a single digit, it prints the number with a leading zero.
Mar | Prints a three letter abbreviation for the month.
March | spells out the full name of the month.

Choose the option that fits your needs. The program modifies the sample date at the bottom of the dialog box to reflect your choice.

##### Day

If you want to create a custom format for a date field object, use this list to specify the way you want the program to print/display the day part of the date. Your options are:

1 | Prints the day as a number. If the day number is only a single digit, it prints the number without a leading zero.
01 | Prints the day as a number. If the day number is only a single digit, it prints the number with a leading zero.

Choose the option that fits your needs. The program modifies the sample date at the bottom of the dialog box to reflect your choice.

##### Year

If you want to create a custom format for a date field object, use this list to specify the way you want the program to print/display the year part of the date.

99 | Prints the year in its short, two digit format.
1999 | Prints the year in its long, four digit format.

Choose the option that fits your needs. The program modifies the sample date at the bottom of the dialog box to reflect your choice.

##### Era/Period Type

Use the Era/Period Type list to select either a short or long era/period of time.

##### YMD, DMY, MDY options

If you want to create a custom format for a date field object, use these options to select the order in which you want the elements of the date to appear. Your options are:

MDY | Prints the date in the order Month, Day, Year.
DMY | Prints the date in the order Day, Month, Year.
YMD | Prints the date in the order Year, Month, Day.

Select the option that fits your needs. The program modifies the sample date at the bottom of the dialog box to demonstrate the sequence you have chosen.

##### Type

When you are setting up a custom format for a date field object, if you want the name of the day (or an abbreviation of that name) to appear before the rest of the date, use this option to set the format for that name. Your options are:

Short | Prints an abbreviation of the day name before the date (for example, Fri).
Long | Prints the full day name before the date (for example, Friday).
None | Does not print a day name before the date.

Choose the option that fits your needs. The program modifies the sample date at the bottom of the dialog box to reflect your choice.

If you set this property to Short or Long, you need to specify the character(s) you want to use to separate the name from the date itself. You do that in the Separator box.

##### Separator

When you are setting up a custom format for a date field object, if you set the Leading Day Type property to short or long (so a day name or abbreviated day name appears before the date), you need to specify the character(s) you want to use to separate the name from the date itself. You do that in this box. Within practical limits, you can use as many characters as you need. For example,

- to separate a date name from a date, you may use Comma+Space (, ) as your separators
- to separate a date name abbreviation from a date, you may use Period+Comma+Space (., ) as your separators.

Type in the characters you want to use. The program modifies the sample date at the bottom of the dialog box as you do.

##### Enclosures

Use the Enclosures list to select parentheses or square brackets as an enclosure for date/time fields on your report.

##### Position

Use the Position list to select either a Leading or a Trailing position.

##### Prefix

Use the Prefix box to create a prefix for dates in your date field, for example, DATE.

##### First Separator

When you are setting up a custom format for a date field object, the program enables you to specify the separators, if any, that you want to use to separate the date elements. Since each date has three elements (YMD, DMY, or MDY), you can specify two different separators. The first separator goes between the first and second elements, the second separator goes between the second and third elements. Type the character(s) you want to use for the first separator in this box. Within practical limits, you can use as many characters as you need. For example,

- if you are using a short format, all numbers, you may want to specify a forward slash (/) as the first separator and as the second separator as well (like 12/25/96)
- if you are using a long format with the month spelled out, you may not want to use any separator between the first and second elements and then use a comma between the second and third (like March 22, 1998).

##### Second

When you are setting up a custom format for a date field object, the program enables you to specify the separators, if any, that you want to use to separate the date elements. Since each date has three elements (YMD, DMY, or MDY), you can specify two different separators. The first separator goes between the first and second elements, the second separator goes between the second and third elements. Type the character(s) you want to use for the second separator in this box. Within practical limits, you can use as many characters as you need. For example,

- if you are using a short format, all numbers, you may want to specify a forward slash (/) as both the first and second separators (for example, 12/25/96)
- if you are using a long format with the month spelled out, you may not want to use any separator between the first and second elements and then use a comma between the second and third (like March 22, 1998).

##### Suffix

Use the Suffix box to create a suffix that follows the dates in your date field.

Seagate Software, Inc. http://www.seagatesoftware.com Please send comments to: techpubs@seagatesoftware.com