Question : Input masks for numerical data?

Hi All
I would like to create an input mask for swimming times. These are expressed as minutes:seconds.tenths/hundredths of a second written in the format mm:ss.tenshundredths when presented as information for club members.  I've created an input mask but only as a text format as my help facility suggests that input masks are not available for numerical data.  At the moment I don't want to calculate as such using this data but eventually may want to create charts of improvements in performance so may need to subtract one from the other preserving the validity of the data.

I do need to be able to ask a query to select only records which have the fastest time from a database table of each swimmer, the stroke they have performed and their time.  The person who has given me the date has converted the swim times to seconds to do this and then used an expression to show the data in the format described above. Is their a way of inputting the data in my desired format but numerically so that the data can be processed properly?

Sorry this is long but nowhere have I read a solution that covers my problem.

Cheers

Linsey

Answer : Input masks for numerical data?

Your help facility must be missing this page then.

InputMask Property
               
You can use the InputMask property to make data entry easier and to control the values users can enter in a text box control. For example, you could create an input mask for a Phone Number field that shows you exactly how to enter a new number: (___) ___-____. It is often easier to use the Input Mask Wizard to set the property for you.

Setting

The InputMask property can contain up to three sections separated by semicolons (;).

Section Description
First Specifies the input mask itself; for example, !(999) 999-9999. For a list of characters you can use to define the input mask, see the following table.
Second Specifies whether Microsoft Access stores the literal display characters in the table when you enter data. If you use 0 for this section, all literal display characters (for example, the parentheses in a phone number input mask) are stored with the value; if you enter 1 or leave this section blank, only characters typed into the control are stored.
Third Specifies the character that Microsoft Access displays for the space where you should type a character in the input mask. For this section, you can use any character; to display an empty string, use a space enclosed in quotation marks (" ").

In Visual Basic you use a string expression to set this property. For example, the following specifies an input mask for a text box control used for entering a phone number:

Forms!Customers!Telephone.InputMask = "(###) ###-####"When you create an input mask, you can use special characters to require that certain data be entered (for example, the area code for a phone number) and that other data be optional (such as a telephone extension). These characters specify the type of data, such as a number or character, that you must enter for each character in the input mask.

You can define an input mask by using the following characters.

Character Description
0 Digit (0 to 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; spaces are displayed as blanks while in Edit mode, but blanks are removed when data is saved; plus and minus signs allowed).
L Letter (A to Z, entry required).
? Letter (A to 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 thousand, date, and time separators. (The actual character used depends on the settings in the Regional Settings Properties dialog box in Windows Control Panel).
< Causes all characters to be converted to lowercase.
> Causes all characters to be converted to uppercase.
! Causes the input mask 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 the literal character (for example, \A is displayed as just A).

For a control, you can set this property in the control's property sheet. For a field in a table, you can set the property in table Design view (in the Field Properties section) or in Design view of the Query window (in the Field Properties property sheet).