Q. I use the Insert Date function to automatically insert dates in my letters. But ClarisWorks doesn't save the date with the rest of the letter. As a result, I cannot look at the document on the screen and determine when I originally wrote the letter.
Why doesn't ClarisWorks and ClarisImpact save my dates?
A. As you discovered, the "Insert Date" feature puts a command, not the actual date, in your document. The command tells ClarisWorks and ClarisImpact to check the clock in your Macintosh and display the current date on the screen and print the current date in the document. However, despite its name, the Insert Date command does not actually insert the date in the document.
The Insert Date command makes it easy to prepare documents that serve as templates; ClarisWorks and ClarisImpact automatically insert the current date in the document when you print a copy for a new recipient.
However, this same feature works against you when you prepare a letter that you want to store on a disk. Although ClarisWorks and ClarisImpact will insert the correct date when you print the letter, the program does not store the date in the electronic copy of the letter.
Of course, your Macintosh does record the date that you originally created the letter. You can display the "creation date" of the file by going to the Finder, navigating to the file that contains the letter, and issuing a Command-I (or by selecting "Get Info" from the File Menu). The Get Info box that appears on your screen includes the creation date and an area that you can use to store notes about the document.
PLEASE NOTE: Holding down the Option key as you choose "Insert Date" will cause the date to save as of the date it was entered.