Input Max not Preserved in Combo Box

[sargum]

HI,

I am using Access 2002. I have a combobox in a form that allows one to
find a record in the form by selecting a value from a list.

The combox list is generated from a table called "Wafer Info". The
field is called "Wafer Name" and the format property is text. The
field in the table carries an input mask. It is
"NM-"00"W#"00"(CCF"000")" I put in the input max into the input mask
property of the combox box as well.

When I click on the drop down list, I just see a list of numbers
0000000 instead of NM00W00CCF000. However, when I click 0000000, it
changes the display in teh combo box to the correct label of
NM00W00CCF000, but only does so after I click it. This will be
confusing to my users. They need to see the list with the input mask
applied; they will not be able to easily deduce that 0000000 is
NM00W00CCF000.

Thank you for your help!

Sargum

 

[sargum]

Hey,

If anyone has any ideas...it would make my day!

Thx.
S

 

[sargum]

Hi,

I have tried to work out this problem. This seems like an elementary
problem. I am surprised that i have not heard back from someone. Has
anyone solved it?

Thx.
S

 

[sargum]

Hi,

I have tried to work out this problem. This seems like an elementary
problem. I am surprised that i have not heard back from someone. Has
anyone solved it?

Thx.
S

 

[DanielS via AccessMonster.com]

Here is my input mask.
\N\M00\W00\C\C\F00
I tried it and it works here.

Daniel

 

[sargum]

Hi,

I have tried to work out this problem. This seems like an elementary
problem. I am surprised that i have not heard back from someone. Has
anyone solved it?

Thx.
S

 

[sargum]

Dear Daniel,

Thanks for the reply. The problem is not that I can't get the input
mask to work. It is that I can't get it to work in my unbound combo
box on the form, even I set my input mask property to
NM-"00"W#"00"(CCF"000")" in the combobox property. It is not the mask
itself that is the problem. It works perfectly fine in my table. How
do I get the input mask applied in a combobox? Thx.

S

 

[sargum]

Hi,

Problem Solved. I figured out a work-around. I hope this helps
somebody else.

1)First of, I had to make sure that I stored the data "with the symbols
in the mask" in the Input Mask wizard for my [Wafer Name] field. I had
to go back into my data and retype in all the data again to incorporate
this new property. (I had to essentially retrace the data to take on
the new property...if you don't do this, it will not apply the new
property.)

2)I created a completely separte table called [Wafer Name - Preserve
Input Mask] with a field called [Wafer_Name] which would store
the [Wafer Name] from the other table...(I did this by creating an
append query...INSERT INTO [Wafer Name - Preserve Input Mask] (
Wafer_Name, [SELECT [Wafer Info].[Wafer Name] FROM [Wafer Info];

3)Then, I created a Delete Query that would delete the old records from
[Wafer Name - Preserve Input Mask] so we don't keep duplicating records
DELETE [Wafer Name - Preserve Input Mask].Wafer_Name
FROM [Wafer Name - Preserve Input Mask]
WHERE ((([Wafer Name - Preserve Input Mask].Wafer_Name) Is Not Null));

4)Last, I created a combobox using the combox wizard in my form and
pulled the data from the table labeled [Wafer Name - Preserve Input
Mask]. Voila, the Input mask in this combo box was preserved!! I
could select my Wafer Name (with applied Input Mask) and get to the
record I want.

As an aside, I made a macro that runs the append and delete query (see
#2, #3) above
whenever the user opens the form.

S