The format string definition for a date field is followed by a number in parentheses that identifies a date format. These numbers are historical, and are backward compatible with the format numbers used by the original NewViews for DOS IMPORT procedure. They are as follows:
| Format Number | Format | Example |
| -1 | ddmmyyyy | 31121992 |
| 16 | ddmmmyyyy | 31Dec1992 |
| 17 | yyyymmdd | 19921231 |
| 18 | mmddyyyy | 12311992 |