Using input masks

- [Instructor] If you've ever entered a credit card number…or a phone number into an online form…and had the form break the value into sections…you've used an input mask.…Input masks provide structure to field data…to make it easier to enter…and later to read once it's part of the data.…Input masks consist of three possible characters,…nines for characters that must be a number,…Ls for characters that must be a letter,…and zeroes for characters that could be either…a number or a letter.…You can build masks by typing them yourself…directly into the Input Mask row in Field Properties.…

You can also add symbols like dashes or dots…to give structure to the data.…A more foolproof way to build common input masks…is to use the Input Mask Wizard.…To invoke the Wizard click the ellipsis button…at the far right end of the Input Mask row.…The Input Mask Wizard is loaded with common masks…that you can apply by clicking the mask by name…and then clicking the Finish button.…And here's a tip within a tip,…if you want the letters in your mask…