Filemaker specify calculation question

[sitryd]

Hey all,

Quick question (hopefully) that I've been unable to locate in any google search. I'm trying to set a calculated auto-entry value for a text field that should contain the date in long form based on the date entered in another field. Ie:

DateField: 9/5/2008
Calculated field: "September 5, 2008"

The date format on the date field is set to the proper form, but when I use "Month ( DateField ) & " " & Day ( DateField ) & ", " & Year (DateField)", it returns the numeric value (ie. 9 5, 2008") rather than the full form.

How do I force it to return the spelled out month?

Thanks!
-Sitryd

 

[Gerg]

In the layout, select the field in question, go to "Format/Date" and "Format as:" and pick your preference there.

Also, wouldn't it be easier to just use the same date field a 2nd time on the layout, with the different format applied, or have the 2nd date field calculation just equal the first date field? [Date2="date] or something similar?

 

[sitryd]

I probably should have provided more information. The calculated auto-entry is a larger sentence for a form letter. Specifically, if a date is entered in the DateField, it generates a sentence including the date, and if no date is specified it generates another sentence.

E.g.:

DateField: 2008/9/5
Result: The delivery will be made on September 5, 2008.

DateField: {}
Result: No delivery has been scheduled.

In the entry and browse modes, the DateField is properly formatted to show up as September 5, 2008, but when you do the calculated autoentry it shows up as the numeric value (ie. The delivery will be made on 2008/09/05).

 

[Gee]

Haven't used filemaker for a while, but isn't there a mail merge field facility that you can use to achieve this? I.e. enter the date as a merge field