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# Using a Macro to Insert a Custom Formatted Date

Article ID: 121983

Article Last Modified on 8/16/2005

APPLIES TO

- Microsoft Word 6.0 Standard Edition
- Microsoft Word 6.0a
- Microsoft Word 6.0c
- Microsoft Word 95 Standard Edition

This article was previously published under Q121983

## SUMMARY

This article describes how to write a macro that prompts you to enter a number of days from the current day and then inserts the resulting date in a custom format.

## MORE INFORMATION

WARNING: ANY USE BY YOU OF THE CODE PROVIDED IN THIS ARTICLE IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. Microsoft provides this macro code "as is" without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose.

1. From the Tools menu, choose Macro. Type a name for the new macro and choose the Create button.
2. In the macro editing window, enter the text below. (Sub MAIN and End Sub are already listed.)

   ### Word 7.0

          Sub MAIN
           Defaultdate$=GetPrivateProfileString$(
            "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\Micr soft\Word\7.0\Options","dateformat",
             "")
           SetPrivateProfileString(
            "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\Microsoft\Word\7.0 Options", "dateformat",
            "MMMM d,yyyy", "")
           Days$ = InputBox$("Please enter the number of days from Today ")
           NumDays = Val(days$)
           serialEndDate = Now() + numDays
           EndDate$ = Date$(serialEndDate)
           Insert enddate$
           SetPrivateProfileString
            "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\Microsoft\Word\7.0\Options", "dateformat",
            "defaultdate$", ""
          End Sub

   This macro prompts you to enter a number of days from today and then inserts the resulting dat in "MMMM d, yyyy"(December 31, 2000) format.

   ### Word 6.0

          Sub MAIN
           Defaultdate$ = GetPrivateProfileString$("microsoft word",
            "dateformat","winword6.ini")
           SetPrivateProfileString "microsoft word", "dateformat", "MMMM d,
            yyyy","winword6.ini"
           Days$ = InputBox$("Please enter the number of days from today")
           NumDays = Val(days$)
           SerialEndDate = Now() + numDays
           EndDate$ = Date$(serialEndDate)
           Insert enddate$
           SetPrivateProfileString "microsoft word", "dateformat", defaultdate$,
            "winword6.ini"
          End Sub

   This macro prompts you to enter a number of days from today and then inserts the resulting date in "MMMM d, yyyy"(December 31, 2000) format.
3. From the File menu, choose Close, and be sure to save the changes to the macro.
4. To run the macro, choose Macro from the Tools menu, select the macro name you assigned in step 1, and choose the Run button.

To insert a date for 30 days from today, use the following macro:

### Word 7.0

       Sub MAIN
        Defaultdate$ = GetPrivateProfileString$
         (HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\Microsoft\Word\7.0\Options", "dateformat",
         "")
        SetPrivateProfileString
         "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\Microsoft\Word\7.0\Options", "dateformat",
          MMM d, yyyy", ""
        NumDays = 30
        SerialEndDate = Now() + NumDays
        EndDate$ = Date$(serialEndDate)
        Insert enddate$
        SetPrivateProfileString
         "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\Microsoft\Word\7.0\Options", "dateformat",
          "defaultdate$", ""
       End Sub

### Word 6.0

     Sub MAIN
      Defaultdate$ = GetPrivateProfileString$("microsoft word",
       "dateformat","winword6.ini")
      SetPrivateProfileString "microsoft word", "dateformat", "MMMM d,
       yyyy", "winword6.ini"
      NumDays = 30
      SerialEndDate = Now() + numDays
      EndDate$ = Date$(serialEndDate)
      Insert enddate$
      SetPrivateProfileString "microsoft word", "dateformat", defaultdate$,
       "winword6.ini"
     End Sub

Additional query words: 6.0 word6 7.0 word95 word7 winword

Keywords: kbmacroexample KB121983