Specifications

Defining edit styles
278 InfoMaker
The EditMask edit style
Sometimes you need to enter data that has a fixed format. For example, in
North America phone numbers have a 3-digit area code, followed by three
digits, followed by four digits. You can define an edit mask that specifies the
format to make it easier for you to enter values:
Edit masks consist of special characters that determine what can be entered in
the column. They can also contain punctuation characters to aid you.
For example, to make it easier for you to enter phone numbers in the proper
format, specify this mask:
(###) ###-####
When you insert a row in a form, the punctuation characters display in the box
and the cursor jumps over them as you type:
Special characters
and keywords
Most edit masks use the same special characters as display formats, and there
are special considerations for using numeric, string, date, and time masks. For
information, see “Defining display formats” on page 263.
The special characters you can use in string edit masks are different from those
you can use in string display formats.
Table 8-9: Special characters for string edit masks
If you use the “#” or “a” special characters in a mask, Unicode characters,
spaces, and other characters that are not alphanumeric do not display.
Semicolons invalid in EditMask edit styles
In a display format, you can use semicolons to separate sections in number,
date, time, and string formats. You cannot use semicolons in an EditMask edit
style.
Character Meaning
! Uppercase – displays all characters with letters in uppercase
^ Lowercase – displays all characters with letters in lowercase
# Number – displays only numbers
a Alphanumeric – displays only letters and numbers
X Any character – displays all characters