If you don't like the way a date is displayed, you can specify another date format in Word 97/2000 with the Insert menu, Date and Time command. For example, you can change the short date format, 01/01/00 to a long date format -- Saturday, January 1, 2000. Word provides many date formats, including variations of the month, day, and year (mmddyy) format used in the United States, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) format (yyyymmdd), and the European format (ddmmyy). You can even choose a format that includes the time or displays the time without the date.
Dates are useful for record keeping and document management. The date format you choose depends on your reason for including the date, on the audience, and on the languages used within the document. The format might be simply a matter of company or personal preference. If the date and time are critical, you can choose a format that includes the date and the time in hours, minutes, and seconds. If you are using Word 2000, you can even insert the date in other languages.
The date you insert in Word can be static or current. A static date remains the same until you change it. A current date is updated each time you save the document.
The Default command button in the Date and Time dialog box stores the current settings as the default date and time settings in Word. The default format is applied to the Date field (which you set on the Insert menu, Field command).
The next time you open the Date and Time dialog box, the default date is selected. However, the dialog box always selects the last date format you chose. If you select another format later without changing the default, the new date format is highlighted, although the default Date field remains the same. For more information about fields, type fields in the Office Assistant or on the Answer Wizard tab in the Help window, and then click Search. Select About Fields for a good overview.