As part of the series of product update videos on AgilePoint NX v9.0 release, the next one I would like to share is the Masked Input control for eForms. This is an advanced control and is highly sought after by our customers.
A masked input control is a user interface element used in software applications to provide a predefined format for data input. It allows users to enter data in a specific pattern or format by displaying placeholder characters or symbols for each required character position.
The mask in a masked input control consists of a combination of literal characters and special mask characters. The literal characters are fixed and appear as themselves in the input control. The mask characters, on the other hand, define the format and type of data expected in each position of the input control.
Masked input controls are useful for ensuring data consistency and reducing input errors. They provide a visual cue to users about the expected input format, making it easier to input data accurately. Additionally, they can enforce validation rules by preventing users from entering invalid characters or format.
This control allows the designer to do the following in the input fields:
- Fix certain characters in the input field. For example, if the user were entering date-time, ’01/January/2023 12:20:00’, the ‘/’, ‘ ‘ and ‘:’ characters can be fixed in the input field.
- Restrict what can be entered in the input field. For example, user can enter only numbers or only alphabets, special characters are not allowed, etc.
- Special formats like SSN, phone, bank code etc.
Remember, this control is not for data validation; Rather it is for data restriction. To speed up development time, the control is shipped with ten very commonly used rules. Developers can also make use of JS and rule builder to handle very advanced scenarios to handle data input. To ensure good end user experience, an option has been provided to display the masking configuration as a helper text in the label as well as placeholder text in the control.
Hope you enjoy the video showcasing the Masked Input control in action.
Note: Please note that this video is recorded while this feature is in beta version. Some of the labels and icons might change by the time it goes GA but the general concept of configuring these activities would remain the same.