Union Query is taking out some of my characters but only after I added input mask to table

[cowboy]

I have a table which I added an input mask 00\->LL\-0000 to a field MDE_Num




Then the query which pulls data from the table shows the field correctly:



Then I have a union query which pulls together 2 tables for display of both tables into another form. This query was working fine until I added the input mask and re-input the data where it doesnt have me put in the - symbols but I did specify in the input mask to store the - symbol when storing the data and it does show it in the table and the regular query. Here is the union query and SQL:

SELECT 'New' as Sub, q_NewSub.ID, NewSub.MDE_num
FROM q_NewSub
UNION SELECT 'Re' as Sub, q_ReSub.NewSub.ID, q_ReSub.NewSub.MDE_num
FROM q_ReSub;

Why is the union query not showing the - in the MDE-Num after the union query?

I have attached the database if that helps.
testing.mdb

Thank you for any help you can provide.

[CJ_London]

not sure how you can add the input mask to a union query except by using another query based on the union query and setting the input mask there. I would point out that it is an input mask and union queries are not updateable i.e. you cannot input. It is only a mask, your data is stored without the dashes as you see in your union query. So any query criteria/filter for '13-SF-1256' will fail

[cowboy]

not sure how you can add the input mask to a union query except by using another query based on the union query and setting the input mask there. I would point out that it is an input mask and union queries are not updateable i.e. you cannot input. It is only a mask, your data is stored without the dashes as you see in your union query. So any query criteria/filter for '13-SF-1256' will fail

On office.com it states for input masks: The 0 in the second part of the input mask indicates that the mask characters will be stored along with the data.

I understood this to mean that the data is stored with dashes, but you are saying it just looks that way?

[CJ_London]

The 0 in the second part of the input mask indicates that the mask characters will be stored along with the data.

yes - but you haven't used the second part. Once you've added that, still not sure how it would work in a union query - I suspect the relevant field from both tables will need to have the same input mask - at the very least, ensure the first table in the union has the mask.