Input Mask - 'Evil' and 'Not Useful'

[Chris Lines]

Guys

I have researched the use of input masks for a problem I'm having (for which
I've posted separately), but I am interested in learning why some experts
have described input masks as 'evil' and 'not useful'. Some experts on the
forum have said input masks fail to provide flexibility. Are input masks ok
for simple things like, say, file numbers that have a particular format? (eg:
LH/09/01) I can understand the need for flexibility in more complicated
things. Are there better ways of forcing users to enter the proper, perhaps
unique, format? Grateful for some general advice on the issue of input masks.

Chris

 

[Duane Hookom]

I think part of the issue is people use input masks to push multiple data
values into a single field.

I generally expect users to be intelligent enough to enter values correctly.
I will often use the After Update event of a control to either correct the
value or pop up a PEBKAC (Problem Exists Between Keyboard And Chair) error
message and have the user try again.

 

[Jerry Whittle]

My favorite two examples are using input masks on Zipcodes and Telephone
numbers. Looks like a good idea at first until you get to add a record for
someone from a different country! Try to put "OX9 6FA" into a USA zipcode
input mask or 0896 233999 into a USA/Canada phone number input mask.

If you are using input masks, you need to be very, very sure that it covers
all the bases. Like Duane, I tend to trust the users to input the right thing.

Now validation rules are quite another thing. I will check for things like
people inputting dates for the wrong century and such.

 

[Jeff Boyce]

Chris

My take:

Input masks require users to get it right or else. (... or at least what
the developer thought was 'right')

Validation rules (post or during data entry) allow users to do what they
know.

When you use a tool, do you want it to tell you how to use it, or do you
want it to help you to use it?

Regards

Jeff Boyce
Microsoft Office/Access MVP

 

[Chris Lines]

Duane

Thank you for your thoughts. I appreicate it.

Chris

 

[Chris Lines]

Jerry

Thank you. I'll give more thought now to using validations rather than
masks. Although nowhere near the experience level of an MVP, I must confess
to some frustration with several users of the work database I have created.
Data quality has been poor in the past. Mind you, I would accept the users'
criticism that the database needed improvements. In any case, I shall embark
on some experimenting with validation rules. Thanks again, Jerry, for your
comments.

Chris

 

[Chris Lines]

Jeff

Thank you very much for your response. I will now give more thought to the
use of validation rules rather than relying solely on masks. Thanks again,
Jeff.

Chris

 

[Clifford Bass]

Hi Chris,

I agree with the other posters. I would add that often masks are often
a pain in the neck for those doing serious data entry. I find myself
detesting them when trying to enter data because they often require extra
work (keystrokes and/or mousings) to enter something that should be pretty
straight forward.

My $0.02 worth.

Clifford Bass

 

[Chris Lines]

Clifford

Thank you. The masks I have used to date do indeed require extra key
strokes, so I see your point. But my inputers are regularly getting the input
format wrong (in my case it's a file-number format), which in turn means my
searches don't always give me the results I should get. I'm going to fiddle
with some validation rules and see how that goes. Thanks again, Clifford, for
your comments.

Chris

 

[Clifford Bass]

Hi Chris,

You are welcome!.

You may want to consider splitting the entry of the information into
separate text boxes, even if you rejoin it behind the scenes for storage in
the table.

Clifford Bass

 

[Chris Lines]

Clifford

Thank you for your suggestion. I have fiddled with validation rules and have
got everything to work the way I want it to. By using validation, I can have
the variations that I want. Thanks again for all your advice. You helped me
solve my issue.

Chris

 

[Clifford Bass]

Hi Chris,

You are welcome. And continued good luck with that.

Clifford Bass

 

[Banana]

Just to throw a monkey wrench in the machinery...

I've actually had used Input Masks, primarily as a 'hint' to the
expected format and to avoid worrying about whether the user will enter
format inconsistently (e.g. 111-222-3333, 111.222.3333 or (111) 222-3333
all are valid formats) which would complicate my parsing (not so much
for phone numbers as a simple check of IsNumeric will suffice but for
mixed numbers and text, forget it).

However in cases where I've used input masks, I usually have VBA code
driving to determine the input mask. For example, in one project we
decided it made more sense to input all contacts for people in a single
contact tables with a combobox to identify what kind of contact it could
be. This could be either phone number (actually several variations of
phone numbers; mobile, home, work, fax) or email. Whenever the user made
a selection for an email, the input mask would be removed and the
validation rule would be to check for the usual @ and tld. Otherwise,
the input mask for phone number would be present giving my users the
advantage of entering the phone number with keypad without worrying
about formatting it themselves.

With ZIP code, it's same principle; we had to track both US and Canadian
addresses so we had an combobox to identify an address as US or Canadian
then apply correct input mask at runtime. Now, that is obviously a
different pie from the input mask as a property of table/fields as I've
been describing input masks as properties of controls on form which also
can be altered at runtime as described above.

Hopefully that's some food for thought.

 

[Clifford Bass]

Hi,

And I just recommended an input mask for someone else. It just goes to
show that generalizations have their exceptions.

Clifford Bass

Just to throw a monkey wrench in the machinery...

[snip]

 

[John W. Vinson]

Hi,

And I just recommended an input mask for someone else. It just goes to
show that generalizations have their exceptions.

Clifford Bass

Just to throw a monkey wrench in the machinery...

[snip]

All generalizations are flawed... including this one.

 

[Chris Lines]

Banana

Thank you for your thoughts. I appreciate it. I'm learning that there are
lots of differnent views and a variety of ways of doing the same thing.
Thanks again for your thoughts.

Chris