Input Masks

Input masks are defined patterns that determine the format of information that can be typed in a text field.

Input masks are useful for preventing data entry errors when a text field has a specific input format that must be followed.

To define a mask pattern, two characters are required to represent one character or digit in a masked text field. The first character does not display in the masked text field, but acts as a rule to define the acceptable input format. The second character displays in the masked text field and acts as an input hint for staff members and customers.

This table describes the first and second characters that define mask patterns.

Input Mask Characters

Mask character	Description
First character
F	Formatting character (space, hyphen, parentheses)
U	Uppercase letter
L	Lowercase letter
M	Ignore case (lowercase, uppercase, and numbers are acceptable)
Second character
#	Numeric (number only)
A	Alphanumeric (either letter or number)
L	Alpha (letter only)
C	Alphanumeric or formatting character

This table describes input mask types, their associated patterns, and how they display to staff members and customers in text fields.

Note: In a masked text field, the # symbol signifies a numeric character and the @ symbol signifies an alphabetic or non-numeric character. Formatting characters, such as spaces, hyphens, and parentheses, are static so staff members and customers cannot replace them with other characters.

Input Mask Examples

Mask Type	Mask Pattern	Masked Text Field
Social Security Number 123-45-6789	M#M#M#F-M#M#F-M#M#M#M#	###-##-####
Phone number [phone]	F(M#M#M#F)F M#M#M#F-M#M#M#M#	(###) ###-####
U.S. zip code 12345-6789	M#M#M#M#M#F-M#M#M#M#	#####-####
Canada postal code A1B 2C3	ULM#ULF M#ULM#	@#@ #@#