Multiple acceptable formats for a single date field

[Bossom5C48]

Hi, I have a requirement to create a single form field that could accept multiple date formats and not throw an error. Example my date field should be able to accept mmm-dd-yyyy or mmm-yyyy or yyyy , a user should be allowed any of the formats and it should not throw an error. If there any script that I can use ?

[try67 · Accepted solution]

Try this as the field's custom Validation script:

var acceptedFormats = ["mmm-dd-yyyy", "mmm-yyyy", "yyyy"];
if (event.value) {
	var accepted = false;
	for (var i in acceptedFormats) {
		if (util.scand(acceptedFormats[i], event.value)!=null) {
			accepted = true;
			break;
		}
	}
	if (!accepted) {
		app.alert("The entered value is not in one of the accepted formats and will be rejected.");
		event.rc = false;
	}
}

Edited: small mistake in the code fixed

[Bossom5C48]

Thanks Try67,, should I drag the box as a date field and then under "Format" choose custom and then go to the tab "validate" and use this script there ? Since I still need the calendar to show up in the field. Or should I use just a "text" field and then add this under "Run custom validation script"

[PDF Automation Station]

I don't think you can have both (calendar and this validation script) because you have to select one date format for the calendar to show up, and the format has a keystroke script that won't accept the other formats.

[try67 · Accepted solution]

You can't do that. The calendar widget can only work with a single pattern. So you have to choose one or the other. If you want to use the script I provided you must set the Format to None.

[Bossom5C48]

Hi Try67,, can you help me add to the script such that if the user uses "mmm-yyyy" then the value changes to "-mmm-yyyy"  and if the user does "yyyy" then the value changes or defaults to "--yyyy" , so it basically also adds dashes for the two formats as a prefix 

[try67]

Do you want to actually change the value, or just how it is displayed?

[Bossom5C48]

How its displayed if some chooses to enter "mmm-yyyy" it should display "-mmm-yyyy" if someone enters "yyyy" it should display "--yyyy"

[try67 · Accepted solution]

You can do it using this code as the field's custom Format script:

if (event.value) {
	var numHyphens = event.value.match(/-/g);
	numHyphens = (numHyphens==null) ? 0 : numHyphens.length;
	for (var i=numHyphens; i<2; i++) event.value = "-"+event.value;
}