Word for Windows: Using the Ordinal Switch in a DATE Field

ID: Q72571

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Word for Windows versions 1.0, 1.1, 1.1a, 2.0, 2.0a, 2.0a-CD, 2.0b, 2.0c, 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c
Microsoft Word for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
Microsoft Word 97 for Windows

SUMMARY

To convert the number 15 to "15th" in a DATE field or another field that displays a number in Microsoft Word for Windows, use the ordinal switch: \* ordinal

MORE INFORMATION

The following three examples demonstrate the use of the ordinal switch:

To display

   March 21st, 1991

enter the fields:

   {date\@ "MMMM"} {date \@ "d" \*ordinal}, {date \@ "YYYY"}

To display

   Tuesday the 21st, 1991

enter the following fields:

   {date \@ "dddd"} the {date \@ "d" \*ordinal}, {date \@ "YYYY"}

To display

   10th

enter the following field:

   {=\*ordinal 10}

If the "d" in the DATE field is used without the ordinal switch, as in the following DATE field

   {date \@ "MMMM d, yyyy"}

the result will display:

   May 21, 1991

The "d" abbreviation in a DATE field will return the date as the one- or two-digit number corresponding to the day of the month. In this case, the "d" returns 21. Adding the ordinal switch (*\ordinal) changes 21 to 21st.

Reference(s):

"Microsoft Word for Windows User's Reference," pages 94, 113, 117, 118

Additional query words: winword word6 winword word95 th st Arabic winword2 word7 word97

Keywords          : kbfield 
Version           : 1.x 2.x 6.0 6.0a 6.0c 7.0 7.
Platform          : WINDOWS

Last Reviewed: February 7, 1998