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The Character Filter dialog allows you to force the contents of the selected data source or data entry control to conform to certain rules. Although you can use the options on the Character Filter dialog with any of the different data source types, you will generally use them when reading input from a database or entering data into the data entry form at print-time.

You can access this dialog in one of the following ways:

• Click next to Character Filter on the Transforms tab of the Data Sources property page (for template objects).

• Click next to Character Filter on the Data Entry property page (for data entry controls).

• Click next to Character Filter on the More Query Prompt Options dialog (for query prompts).

Options for configuring a character filter include the following:

• Allowable Characters: Specifies the type of characters that are accepted as input into the data field. When characters other than those specified in Allowable Characters are read from a database or entered into the data entry form, the undesired characters are removed from the data. For example, if you specify that only numbers are allowed, any letters or spaces are removed. In this case, if the Warn When Data Validation Fails option is enabled, a message displays if any non-numeric characters are encountered to indicate that they have been removed.

  Input Mask

  The following options are available when the Allowable Characters option is set to Set By Input Mask.

  • Select Sample Mask: Opens the Select Sample Mask dialog, which allows you to select one of several prepared sample input masks.

  • Input Mask: Allows you to create and/or display the template to which the data is forced to conform.

  • Test: Displays an example of the data template specified in the Input Mask field; also allows you to enter data to test that the data template works as desired.

  • Placeholder Character: Specifies the character that is displayed as the placeholder in the Test area, as well as the text input box on the data entry form.

  • Print Literal Characters: When enabled, specifies that the characters entered as part of the data template in the Input Mask field are displayed on the template; additionally, they are printed on the items. Rather than toggling the option on and off, you can enable or disable the Print Literal Characters option by manually entering a 0 (enable) or a 1 (disable) between the two semi-colons in the Input Mask field.

  • Fill In Characters From Right To Left: When enabled, specifies that data entered into the field appears from the right and shifts to the left rather than the default direction of left to right.

  This option affects data received from a Database Field or Embedded Data data source only. Data entered into the data entry form at print-time always fills from left to right.

  Regular Expression

  The following options are available when the Allowable Characters option is set to Set By Regular Expression.

  • Select Sample Regular Expression: Opens the Select Regular Expression dialog, where you can select the expression that you want to use from several common regular expressions. When you close the Select Regular Expression dialog, the selected expression populates the Regular Expression field, where you can further edit it, if desired.

  • Regular Expression: Specifies the regular expression that you want used for the character filter. You can populate this field using any of the following methods (or a combination of any of the following methods):

  • Click Select Sample Regular Expression and make a selection from the Select Regular Expression dialog.

  • Type the desired expression directly into the field.

  • Click the icon to the right of the field and select the desired expression element you want to add to the expression.

  • Test: Displays an example of the data template specified in the Regular Expression field; also allows you to enter data to test that the data template works as desired.

• Characters: Specifies the characters that are accepted, based on the option selected for Allowable Characters. When the Allowable Characters option is set to Custom, the Characters field allows you to specify the characters that will be allowed. This option is available for any Allowable Characters selection except Set by Input Mask or Set by Regular Expression.

Options

• Convert to Uppercase: When enabled, changes alphabetical data to capital letters.

• Convert to Lowercase: When enabled, changes alphabetical data to lowercase letters.

• Warn When Data Validation Fails: When enabled, specifies that a message is displayed when the data contains unacceptable characters. You can then remove the unacceptable characters and continue or cancel the print job.