Inserting date & time in Word 2008 document

Question

I'm trying to create simple AppleScript and I'm hoping someone on here can help me.
I work in Word 2008 for Mac and want to create a script that simply inserts the phrase "Left message(space)" plus the date and time whenever I run the script. I'd also prefer that the phrase be in italics if possible. I use this because I often call people and leave them a message and I like to keep a record of when I call them.
I found this script online and modified it hoping it would meet my needs:
tell application "Microsoft Word"
tell selection
type text text "Left message "
create new field text range text object of selection field text {"DATE \\@ \"MM/d/yyyy\""}
end tell
end tell
The result is that when I run the script, I get something like this in my document:
Left message 6/10/2010
It's a good start, but there are two problems with this.
First, I would like to insert both the date AND the time.
Second, when it inserts the date, it makes it an "update automatically" date that updates to the current time every time I open the document. This obviously doesn't help me keep a record of when I made a call. What I would like is for it to just insert the current date and time without updating automatically.
Third, if possible, I would also like it to be in italics.
It would look something like this:
+Left message 6/10/10 5:29 PM+
I appreciate any advice people can give.
Message was edited by: LJH_CMH

Answer 1

Second, when it inserts the date, it makes it an "update automatically" date that updates to the current time every time I open the document
Sure, that's because you specifically tell it to. Your script inserts a 'new field' which is analogous to Word's dynamic text objects (date, time, page number, etc.)
Instead, what you want to do is insert an actual string of characters - sure, to you and I that string of characters might look like a date and time, but to Word it's nothing more than a series of characters.
For that we can fall back on AppleScript's date features, specifically current date, like:
tell application "Microsoft Word"
  tell selection
    type text text "Left message " & (current date as text)
  end tell
end tell
Note that current date as text returns a rather verbose form of the date. If that's too much for you there are alternate options, such as:
short date string of (current date) & space & time string of (current date)
which will look more like: "6/10/10 3:26:50 PM"
But there is also a myriad of other ways (with seconds, without seconds, 12/24 hr, etc.) depending on what you want.
Third, if possible, I would also like it to be in italics.
I'll have to look at that one, unless someone else beats me to it.