Specifications

CHAPTER 8 Displaying and Validating Data
Users Guide 259
If you want data to display differently depending on whether the focus is on or
off the column, specify an edit mask (on the Edit property page for the column)
as well as a display format (on the Format property page for the column), then
check the Use Format check box on the Format property page. The Use Format
check box displays only when an edit mask has been specified.
If you want the data to display in the same way whether focus is on or off the
column and you have defined an edit mask, you do not need to define a display
format. The edit mask is used for display if the Use Format box is not checked
(the default).
Validating data
When data is entered in the Database painter or in a form, InfoMaker evaluates
the data against validation rules defined for that column. If the data is valid,
InfoMaker accepts the entry; otherwise, InfoMaker displays an error message
and does not accept the entry.
For more information, see “About validation rules” on page 287.
About display formats
You can use display formats to customize the display of column data in a report
or form. Display formats are masks in which certain characters have special
significance. For example, you can display currency values preceded by a
dollar sign, show dates with month names spelled out, and use a special color
for negative numbers. InfoMaker comes with many predefined display
formats. You can use them as is or define your own.
Here the
Phone, Salary, and Start Date columns use display formats so the data
is easier to interpret: