Understanding Input Mask Characters

When you define an input mask, you can enter characters that determine the type of data that will be accepted for each individual character, called control characters. You can also enter characters that will be displayed and/or printed with the data, called literal characters.

Control Characters

Control characters allow you to explicitly define the type of data that will be accepted for input in a specific character position. You can define each individual character position independently from the other characters in the input mask.

The following table describes the function of each of the control characters available for use in BarTender.

Mask Character	Description
0	Digit (entry required): Requires numbers only. Plus and minus symbols not allowed.
9	Digit or Space (entry optional): Allows numbers or spaces. Plus and minus symbols not allowed.
#	Digit/Space/+/- (entry optional): Allows numbers and spaces. Blank positions are converted to spaces. Plus and minus symbols are allowed.
L	Letter (entry required): Requires letters only.
?	Letter (entry optional): Allows letters and spaces.
A	Letter or Digit (entry required): Requires letters or numbers only.
a	Letter or Digit (entry optional): Allows letters, numbers, and spaces.
&	Any character or a space (entry required): Requires letters, numbers, symbols, or spaces.
C	Any character or a space (entry optional): Allows letters, numbers, symbols, or spaces.
. , : /	Decimal and Thousands Symbols and Time and Date Separators: The actual character used depends on the regional settings specified in the Regional Settings Properties dialog accessed from the Windows Control Panel.
<	Convert To Lowercase: Causes all following alphabetical data to be converted to lowercase.
>	Convert To Uppercase: Causes all following alphabetical data to be converted to uppercase
!	Fill In Data From Right To Left: Causes data to be entered from right to left rather than the default direction of left to right. You can enter the exclamation point anywhere in the input mask.
\	Single Character: Allows you to use any of the control characters as literal characters. For example, \L would would display the letter L instead of functioning as a control character.
""	Multiple Characters: Allows you to use a string of control characters as literal characters. For example, "LAC#" would be displayed as simply LAC#.

Literal Characters

Literal Characters are characters that display on the screen or print but do not affect the data. They are used to insert additional characters and symbols into the data that is received by BarTender for input into objects on your template.

Although some of the keyboard characters are considered control characters, most are not and can be entered directly into your input mask by simply typing them into the Input Mask field.

If you wish to use a control character as a literal character, you may do so by placing a back slash (\) immediately before the control character or placing a string of control characters within quotes.

By default, the literal characters in your input mask will be displayed on the template and printed on your items. However, sometimes you may want to display literal characters on the data entry, but do not want them to actually print on your items. You can do this by disabling the Print Literal Characters option. When disabled, the literal characters will be displayed in the corresponding reply boxes of the data entry form that is displayed upon execution of a print job.