Input Mask vs. Format Property

[Michael]

Hi Folks - Just bumped into something interesting .... On a text field, I
can set the FORMAT property to > so that text entered will be formatted as
uppercase. The only thing I don't like about this technique is while you are
typing, the text is entered as lower case. It does not change to uppercase
until the field is updated. Now, if I use the Input Mask property, I can
force 2 uppercase text characters by setting the property to >LL. As I type,
the text is entered as Uppercase which I like. However, if I type a number
(incorrect type), Access only "beeps" instead of displaying a message
indicating that I am trying to enter the "wrong" kind of data. Any
workarounds? Thanks.

 

[John Nurick]

Setting a Format doesn't affect what is stored, only how it is
displayed. So if you use ">" for the format, you are still storing
lower case letters unless you also ensure that only uppercase letters
are entered (e.g. by using an Input Mask).

If you want to control what can be stored in a field, an input mask
isn't sufficient. Use a validation rule. Something like this will
exclude everything except letters (but won't distinguish between upper
and lower case):

IS NULL OR NOT LIKE [!A-Z]