No Input Mask for a Web Database

[Modify_inc]

I'm using the Contact Web Database template provided by MS, and am trying to setup a Input Mask and/or Validation Rule expressions for some of the fields.

Every article I have read seems to always start out with right click on table or form and select Design View for the Input Mask. Well anyone that has used a web database knows that you don't have the Design View, only Layout View. Even most articles by MS start by saying use the Design View. Then I'm told you can do it by a Validation Rule, yet when I open one of the forms, say ContactDetails in Layout View, I don't have a Validation Rule on the ribbon.



The only place I have found the Validation Rule setting is using one of my tables, but I don't believe I need to set a Validation Rule for my Contacts table. The Contacts table is imported from Excel, it is pretty much already set and validated. I just want to setup the Input Mask or Validation Rules for the ContactDetails Form, which is where the user enters and edits the contact details, the phone numbers to be specific.

If I have to do it through the Contacts table, I assume that will be inherited to the ContactDetails Form, correct?

Also how do you enter an expression that will validate a phone number using (000) 000-0000? Using a Input Mask, it looks pretty straight forward, but trying to create an expression is pretty much over whelming at my level of experience with Access.

Thanks
Mike

[June7]

In a normal db, properties set up in table will be inherited by existing controls if you select option to do so. When you edit the property in table, a dropdown option should appear next to the property. I have no idea what will happen in web db. I just learned how to edit properties of table fields http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/offi...ab_topic2.aspx. I see the ValidationRule but not InputMask. Don't see either of those properties for form controls in Layout view.

If there is an InputMask I think the validation rule just needs to assure that there are enough characters in the input value. So test the length of the string. Len([fieldname])=10. If the input mask is saving the punctuation and space then the criteria would be =14. However, apparently InputMask is not available in web db. Review this http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/For...6-67a44b55db6a