Inserting the Document Creation Date

Word keeps track of a good deal of information about your document, and then makes that information available to you. One of the pieces of information tracked is the document creation date. This is the date when the file was first created (opened as a new file) or the last time you chose Save As and saved the file under a new name. Word allows you to insert this date into your document by following these steps:

1. Position the insertion point where you want the creation date to appear.
2. Choose Field from the Insert menu. Word displays the Field dialog box. (Click here to see a related figure.)
3. From the categories of fields, choose Date and Time.
4. Select CreateDate from the Field Names list.
5. Select a date format by clicking on the Options button, if desired. (In Word 2002, simply select your options from those displayed in the dialog box.)
6. Click on OK.

This type of date field is a big help when you are using dates with memos, letters, and reports. The date stays the same as when you first created the file, unless (again) you save the file under a new name, which changes the file creation date.