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An input mask is the format we will assign
for the introduction of values into a field. We can either generate masks
in an automatic manner using the corresponding wizard, or we can define
our own input masks.
The Input mask
property can have up to 3 sections, separated by semicolons (;).
Section |
Descriptión |
First |
Especifies the input mask
itself, e.g, !(999) 999-9999. To see a list of the characters
used to define an input mask, check the table below.
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Second |
Especifies whether Access2003
stores the literal display characters in the table on introducing
data. If you use 0 for this section all the literal display
characters (e.g, the parenthesis of an input mask of a telephone
number) are stored with the value, if you introduce 1 or leave
this section blank, only characters introduced in the control
will be stored.
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Third |
Especify the character that
Access2003 shows where the user should type a character in the
input mask. For this section any character can be used, to show
an empty string use a space enclosed in quotation marks ("
").
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When creating an input mask, you can use
special characters so that the introduction of specific data (e.g, the
area code of a telephone number) is obligatory and that the rest of the
data is optional (like the telephone extension). These characters specify
the type of data, like the number or letter that needs to be introduced
for each character of the input mask.
You can define an input mask using the
following characters:
Character |
Definition |
0 |
Digit (0 to 9, input obligatory,
plus [+] and minus [-] signs not permitted).
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9 |
Digit or space (input not obligatory,
plus or minus signs not permitted).
|
#
|
Digit or space (input not obligatory,
spaces are showed as blanks while in Edit mode, but are eliminated
when the data is saved, plus and minus signs are permitted).
|
L |
Letter (A to Z, input obligatory). |
? |
Letter (A to Z, input optional). |
A |
Letter or digit (input obligatory). |
a |
Letter or digit (input optional).
|
& |
Any character or a space (input
obligatory). |
C |
Any character or a space (input
optional). |
. , : ; - / |
Decimal position marker and thousands,
time, and date separators. |
< |
Converts all the characters to
lowercase. |
> |
Converts all the characters to
uppercase. |
! |
Causes the input mask to display
from right to left rather then from left to right.The characters
introduced always fill the mask from left to right. An exclamation
point can be included anywhere in the input mask.
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\ |
Causes the character that follow
to be displayed as a literal character rather than a input mask
symbol. e.g, (\A will just be shown as A)
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