Mask property for PowerScript controls
Controls
EditMask controls
Description
The Mask property controls the characters the user can enter
in the control and also the formatting of the characters. You must
use special characters to define the mask, depending on the mask
type defined with the MaskDataType property.
PowerBuilder supports six mask types:
-
DateMask!
-
DateTimeMask!
-
DecimalMask!
-
NumericMask!
-
StringMask!
-
TimeMask!
Characters that have special significance for each mask type
display in the Mask drop-down list. Characters that do not have
special meaning for the format appear as is in the EditMask control.
For most mask types, the special characters you can use in
a mask are the same as those you can use in a display format. For
more information about using each kind of display format, see Chapter 4, “About Display Formats and Scrolling.” For more information
about defining display formats, see the User’s
Guide.
The special characters you can use in string edit masks are
different from those you can use in string display formats.
|
Character |
Meaning |
|---|---|
|
! |
Uppercase – displays all characters |
|
^ |
Lowercase – displays all characters |
|
# |
Number – displays only numbers |
|
a |
Alphanumeric – displays only |
|
X |
Any character – displays all |
If you use the “#” or “a” special
characters in a mask, then Unicode characters, spaces, and other
characters that are not alphanumeric do not display.
Usage
In a painter
To specify an edit mask:
-
Display the Mask tab page of the control’s
Properties view. -
Select the mask datatype from the MaskDataType
drop-down list. -
Type the mask characters in the Mask field, or
click the right arrow at the end of the Mask field and select one
or more of the mask character examples displayed in the pop-up menu.The pop-up menu examples change based on the mask datatype
you selected in the MaskDataType list.
In scripts
The Mask property takes a string value and can be used to
obtain the value of a mask. It cannot be used to set the value.
The following example uses the SetMask function
to set the datatype and string format for a mask, and then uses
the Mask property to obtain the value of the string format. The
mask specifies that the first letter in the string is displayed in
uppercase and the next nine characters in lowercase. If the string
has more than ten characters, they do not display:
|
1 |
string ls_mask<br> <br>em_1.SetMask(StringMask!, '!^^^^^^^^^')<br>ls_mask = em_1.Mask |