The Date Formatter is used to unify date formats, so all dates found in a batch, regardless of format, are extracted and converted to the same format.

If this validation method is in a sequence of validation methods, it is not fired if the previous validation method fails.

Date Detection

This group has the following settings:

Month dictionary

If available, you can select the desired dictionary from the list. Month dictionaries are used to convert dates that include the names of months to a numerical date format. (Default: No dictionary)

How to handle ambiguous date formats

If more than one date interpretation is possible, you can tell the formatter what date to use by selecting one of the following valid date settings:

• First valid date in list. (Default: Selected)

• Nearest valid date from today.

• Nearest valid date in the past.

• Nearest valid date in the future.

Min. year

Select the minimum year allowed on a document. (Default: 1900)

Max. year

Select the maximum year allowed on a document. (Default: 2100)

Treat two digit dates greater than

Use this setting to determine how to convert a two digit year into a four digit year. (Default: 40)

It converts all values from 00-40 to 20XX and 41-99 to 19XX.

Allow empty field

Select this setting to allow an empty field to be valid. If this setting is not selected, and a field is empty, it is marked as invalid.

(Default: Cleared)

Ambiguous Date Formats

This group has the following settings:

Select date formats that are found on the document. For example, select an American date format (MM/DD/YYYY) or a European date format (DD/MM/YYYY). You can use the arrow buttons to add or remove formats from the list of selected formats. You can also move formats up or down in the list, to determine the order of evaluation.

For the best results, place the most likely formats at the top of the list.

Testing

To test the settings, enter some sample input text and click Format . The sample text is formatted per the settings and displayed in the output field. If the sample cannot be formatted per the settings, a warning or error message is displayed.

Date Output Format

This group has the following settings:

Format

Select the desired date format from the list. (Default: DD/MM/YYYY)

Date delimiter

Select the desired character to separate the components of a date. (Default:.)

Sample

This read-only field shows an example of a date using the specified date output format settings.

The following buttons are available at the bottom of this window:

Button	Description
OK	Closes the window and saves your changes.
Cancel	Closes the window without saving your changes.
Help	Displays the help for the open window.

Related topics:

• Formatting tab - Project Settings window

• Manage formatters

• Formatter types

• Field formatting and validation

• Validation sequence