Entering / Storing dates as dd.mm.yyyy

  • Thread starter Thread starter Duncs
  • Start date Start date
D

Duncs

I need to display / store my dates in the format dd.mm.yyyy, but I
can't get the formatting to work. I've tried setting the format in
the table, but it wont work. I've tried it on the fomr, but this wont
work. How do I do it?

Rgds

Duncs
 
If you are working with MS Access, the relational database, what gets stored
is NOT what gets displayed when dealing with dates.

Formatting is available via the table/field definitions, via the form's
controls, and by using the Format() function.

Regards

Jeff Boyce
Microsoft Office/Access MVP
 
I was trying to store the dates as dd.mm.yyyy in the table, but I've
just formatted them on the form.

Thanks for your help.

Duncs
 
I was trying to store the dates as dd.mm.yyyy in the table, but I've
just formatted them on the form.
Click to expand...

Don't confuse data STORAGE with data PRESENTATION. They are different tasks!

A Date/Time field is stored without any formatting. It's not a text string;
it's a number, a count of days and fractions of a day since midnight, December
30, 1899:

?now; cdbl(now)
10/1/2009 3:40:13 PM 40087.6529282407

So - unless you are storing the date in a Text field, which would be a
terrible idea - what you're trying to do simply is impossible.

However, you can set the Format property of a Date/Time field to dd.mm.yyyy,
in the field's Table properties, in a Query's field properties, or (most
usefully) in the Format property of a textbox on a form or report. What's
*stored* in your table might be 40087.6529282407 or 40087.000000000; what the
user *sees* would be 01.10.2009.
 
Don't confuse data STORAGE with data PRESENTATION. They are different tasks!

A Date/Time field is stored without any formatting. It's not a text string;
it's a number, a count of days and fractions of a day since midnight, December
30, 1899:

?now; cdbl(now)
10/1/2009 3:40:13 PM  40087.6529282407

So - unless you are storing the date in a Text field, which would be a
terrible idea - what you're trying to do simply is impossible.

However, you can set the Format property of a Date/Time field to dd.mm.yyyy,
in the field's Table properties, in a Query's field properties, or (most
usefully) in the Format property of a textbox on a form or report. What's
*stored* in your table might be 40087.6529282407 or 40087.000000000; whatthe
user *sees* would be 01.10.2009.
Click to expand...

Cheers guys. All I wanted to do was display the data on the form,
with the '.' date separator. I've now managed to do this.

Many thanks for your comments & help.

Duncs
 
I went back and re-read your original post. I think I got distracted with
the mention of "storing" and "table" and missed that you were trying to do
this in a form. Glad you found a solution!

Regards

Jeff Boyce
Microsoft Access MVP
 
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