Date Discrepancy Between SharePoint and Word


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I have a SharePoint document library with Nintex workflow, and some of the list fields get embedded into the Word documents. Some of the fields are date only, and when a user in US central or Pacific time view the document it displays as a day earlier. It seems that even though it's date only, Word must have a phantom time stamp as well. So I assume that this phantom time stamp is 12 midnight. Then when someone in a time zone further west views the document, it resolves as 11pm or 10pm which moves the date back one day. Is that thoroughly confusing enough? Let me know if I need to clarify anything.


9 replies

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Nintex allows for date/time configuration within Central Admin and assumes the date/time from the server. 

 

I would suggest checking there as the date and time can come from that place unless specified via some other client side or server side script outside of Nintex. 

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eharris,

I don't have access to CA, and the team that manages it seemed satisfied with everyone not in EST. I'd like to find a work around on the front end if possible. I tried making a calculated column of data type single line of text, but that resolved as a number and not a date. I am considering building a string variable to hold that date and that won't be altered by time zone. I can then use that variable to populate the Word doc fields.

 

I can't believe that I'm the first person to come across this issue. It seems like a bug that ought to be addressed by Microsoft.

Badge +17

How are you getting the value into the Word Document? If you are using Doc Gen from Nintex you should be able to control the value. However, you will run into an issue where the web front end setting may control that value against your will, which is why its a server setting. 

 

If you do create a date variable, that may work, but also note that the workflow date is controlled by the WFE unless they specifically set it differently. Not sure its really worth pursuing unless the off dates are contractually binding which then means getting the farm/server team to help out.

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I set the word doc as a template and am pulling the library columns in from the Insert - Document Property menu.

Badge +17

Ahh.. in that case yes it may not be possible since it would reference the web front end date/time values set by the server.

 

May I recommend trying the workflow doc gen piece to achieve the same thing, but drive it from the workflow itself. Let me know if you want a quick example of that or check out this quick video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Qir69srd98 

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I don't think we have DocGen. Is that standard with all Nintex emplementations or an extra piece? I thought it was extra.

Userlevel 1
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Hi Roger,

 

If I understand the process, you're currently using an Update Document action and then inserting the reference into the value parameter for the associated content control.

 

If that's the case and the issue is that you always have a constant difference between the time pushed to the document and the time listed then you should get this working by:

 

1) Create a DateTime Variable

2) Use a Calculate Date Action to add or remove the difference in the times and store this value in the DateTime variable

3)  Add the DateTime Variable as the value to push to the document instead of the Item Property Reference

 

Badge +8

The only people that see the discrepancy are those not in the eastern time zone.

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@brent_read 

Your solution would mess the dates up for the people on the east coast. And most of the user base is east coast. I'm hoping to find a work around that uses the actual date field if possible.

 

BTW, I believe this has just been an issue since my organization migrated to SharePoint 2016.

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