MS ACCESS - Input mask syntax and examples

Many people struggle with input mask special characters so here is the help file from MS Access:

Valid input mask characters

Microsoft Access interprets characters in the InputMask property definition as shown in the following table. To define a literal character, enter any character other than those shown in the table, including spaces and symbols. To define one of the following characters as a literal character, precede that character with a backslash (\).

Character Description
0 Digit (0 through 9, entry required; plus [+] and minus [-] signs not allowed).
9 Digit or space (entry not required; plus and minus signs not allowed).
# Digit or space (entry not required; blank positions converted to spaces, plus and minus signs allowed).
L Letter (A through Z, entry required).
? Letter (A through Z, entry optional).
A Letter or digit (entry required).
a Letter or digit (entry optional).
& Any character or a space (entry required).
C Any character or a space (entry optional).
. , : ; - / Decimal placeholder and thousands, date, and time separators.
(The actual character used depends on the regional settings
< Causes all characters that follow to be converted to lowercase.
> Causes all characters that follow to be converted to uppercase.
! Causes the input mask (input mask: A format that consists of literal display characters (such as parentheses, periods, and hyphens) and mask characters that specify where data is to be entered as well as what kind of data and how many characters are allowed.) to display from right to left, rather than from left to right. Characters typed into the mask always fill it from left to right. You can include the exclamation point anywhere in the input mask.
\ Causes the character that follows to be displayed as a literal character. Used to display any of the characters listed in this table as literal characters (for example, \A is displayed as just A).

Password
Setting the InputMask property to the word Password creates a password entry text box. Any character typed in the text box is stored as the character but is displayed as an asterisk (*).
Input mask examples
The following table shows some useful input mask (input mask: A format that consists of literal display characters (such as parentheses, periods, and hyphens) and mask characters that specify where data is to be entered as well as what kind of data and how many characters are allowed.) definitions and examples of values you can enter into them.
Input mask definition

Examples of values
(000) 000-0000
(206) 555-0248

(999) 999-9999!
(206) 555-0248
( ) 555-0248

(000) AAA-AAAA
(206) 555-TELE

#999
-20
2000

>L????L?000L0
GREENGR339M3
MAY R 452B7

>L0L 0L0
T2F 8M4

00000-9999
98115-
98115-3007

>LMaria
Pierre

ISBN 0-&&&&&&&&&-0
ISBN 1-55615-507-7
ISBN 0-13-964262-5

>LL00000-0000
DB51392-0493

Getting data into your Oulook Calendar from EXCEL !!!

I now use this to import my weekly/monthly calendar data across into my Outlook Calendar at home to keep me up to date with my latest whereababouts, thanks to Allister for the loan of this information .....

Wednesday, May 11, 2005 3:35 PM by Allister_Frost


Another handy way to add appointments to your calendar is by importing from Excel. To do this you first need to create an Excel file containing the appointment information Outlook needs. Your first row should contain columns titles which match Outlook's appointment fields. You don't need many fields to get started, just try the following for a basic import of all day appointments:

Cell A1: Subject
Cell B1: Start Date

Now add the data you'd like to import into your Outlook calendar under each of these column headings, for example: cell A2 could be "Bob's Birthday" and cell B2 could be "11/05/2005"
Now, here's the important bit. Highlight the entire range of cells that you've used (in my example this would be A1:B2) and give this range a name under Insert, Name, Define (or just type into the Name Box just above the top of column A). Outlook needs this range name so it knows where to find the data to import. Save your Excel file and close it.

Now just pop into Outlook and choose File, Import and Export. Then select Import from another program or file, hit Next, then choose Microsoft Excel and hit Next again. Now locate the Excel file you created earlier, hit Next, select your Calendar, press Next again and check that Outlook finds the correct Range Name in your Excel file. Now press Map Custom Fields to verify how Outlook is mapping your Excel column headers to its own Calendar Appointment fields, changing if necessary, then hit OK, then Finish.

If you've done everything right, your Outlook Calendar will now contain the appointments you created in Excel.

There are 22 fields you can import into Outlook in this way. These are: Subject, Start Date, Start Time, End Date, End Time, All day event, Reminder on/off, Reminder Date, Reminder Time, Meeting Organizer, Required Attendees, Optional Attendees, Meeting Resources, Billing Information, Categories, Description, Location, Mileage, Priority, Private, Sensitivity, Show time as.

Top tip: try importing in this way to your Task folder rather than your Calendar. This is a great way to move a list of 'to do' items from Excel or Project directly into your Outlook calendar.

SQL Query Criteria

Hi all,
See this link below for the Microsoft guide to Query criteria and SQL commands :

http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/access/HP051885161033.aspx?pid=CH063608261033

Thanks

Jamie

next simple code sample !

'Code to set the current active cell value to something

Sub SetValue()
Worksheets("Sheet1").Activate
ActiveCell.Value = 35
End Sub

More Office Manuals ...

Dont forget to check out www.interquadbooks.co.uk for a now updated library of Computer Reference Books !


Jamie

Get your Code into Action ...

I almost forgot ....

Copy and Paste the code into the VB Editor window maybe on the first sheet or the This Workbook page, Save it !!! and then test it out by running the Code from the Run icon.


PS you could create an icon on the Toolbar to run the Macro later if you are feeling brave !!

Jamie

VBA for EXCEL Code Snippets

Hi all ,
I will be adding a little bit of code here and there to the BLOG in the form of Excel Code as I find out a little more on the subject as I go along the path to becoming a VB person !! [anorak not included]

Heres some code that uses the InputBox Function to then add a number of required additional worksheets to your Spreadsheet.

' Code to create additional Worksheets
Sub AddXWorksheets()
Dim myNum As String

myNum = Application.InputBox("Enter the number of additional WorkSheets required")
Worksheets.Add After:=Worksheets(Worksheets.Count), Count:=myNum
End Sub

Thankyou !

Need some sample data to play around with Excel 2007 ?

Then try Mr Excel ...

http://www.mrexcel.com/miraclesfiles.html

These files are from the Book : Excel 2007 Miracles Made Easy by Bill Jelen.

Download a Sudoku Solver here !

"Yes you can solve Sudoku in seconds with MS Excel !"

thanks to Mikes spreadsheet of VB magic !

download from :
http://www.mikeoldroyd.com/

PowerPoint Links

Need some professional backgrounds and templates, then check out these links below :
obviously a lot of these sites you will have to pay for the goods !!

http://www.ppted.com/

http://www.powerfinish.com/

Also check out Microsoft Office Online site for some free templates !

http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/templates/results.aspx?qu=powerpoint&av=TPL000

And also check out :

http://www.presentationhelper.co.uk/free_powerpoint_template.htm

free templates !

Note in PowerPoint 2007 you can have access to a wide range of pre set templates and colour combinations, it makes a lot of the older templates look "out-dated" by comparison.

Thanks

Jamie

Microsoft At Work Website

Useful tips and tricks for Office lovers everywhere !

http://www.microsoft.com/uk/atwork/default.mspx

First look at Office 2007

Try this website for a first look at the advances with MS Office 2007 !
Its a huge new version with lots of great time saving and impressive features across all the applications :
http://www.microsoft.com/uk/office/newday/default.mspx?nav=v1xcsubmenuxi0&WT.mc_id=Online

Good luck

Office Books anyone ?

Web page detailing MS Office books available !

http://www.mousetrax.com/books.html#office

Monthly Training Journal

Hi try MouseTRax for training resources, I found some good help here on all MS Office related apps. You can subscribe for free to get a monthly magazine !

http://www.mousetrax.com/TechPage.html

Cheers
Have a nice Summer break for those of you going on holiday in 2007 !! :)

Jamie

Red RAG to a bull [ Red Amber Green Graphic Indicators]

Hi all
Just done a Project 2003 course and we discovered you can set up graphical indicators for your Project Tasks or overall Project status such as a red dot for Warning, Amber and green dot aswell !

I will document the process in a later Blog, but its a New Custom Field then choose Graphical indicators, when the user selects a drop down option such as R, A or G it uses a graphic instead of text.

A more interactive approach lets you copy a Number column such as Cost or Variance and Paste link it over the top of the indicator column so it keeps changing dependant on the numbers linked to it.

more to follow ...

Jamie

Outlook Keyboard Shortcuts

In a hurry with E-Mail , then peruse the shortcuts below :

Function keys

F1 -- Open Help
F3 -- Open Find dialog or Find pane.
F4 -- Expand dropdown menus, use arrow keys to select from list
F5 -- Refresh the current window (Outlook 2003) - Send/Receive in older versions
F6 -- Move to next window element
F7 -- Run spell check F9 -- Send/Receive


Number Keys

Ctrl+1 -- Inbox
Ctrl+2 -- Calendar
Ctrl+3 -- Contacts
Ctrl+4 -- Tasks
Ctrl+5 -- Notes
Ctrl+6 -- Folder list
Ctrl+7 -- Shortcuts
Ctrl+8 -- Journal
Ctrl+Y -- Folder picker dialog

Print a list of shortcut keys from within Word ..

Ever wondered how to get your own list of keyboard shortcuts ???

Read on .....

1. On the Tools menu, point to Macro, and then click Macros.
2. In the Macros in box, click Word commands.
3. In the Macro name box, click ListCommands.
4. Click Run.
5. In the List Commands dialog box, click Current menu and keyboard settings.
6. Click OK.
On the File menu, click Print.

MOS SOS !!

Become MOS qualified and be the best !!

http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/officespecialist/default.mspx

JJSURF

Demystify a few computer terms and get on with your life

Crabby to the rescue to bust some jargon !
http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/help/HA010429491033.aspx

JJSURF and Crabby Office Lady.

Put Word to work for you!

Five handy tips for use with MS Word courtesy of Microsoft :
http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/word/HA101154421033.aspx

JJSURF