Like an input mask but different ('http://')

[Remster]

Folks



I have a URL field in a form, and I want to force users to start their URLs with 'http://'.

An input mask won't cut it, for two reasons. First, I've tried using 'http://' followed by 'C' two hundred times, but it's then impossible to paste a URL into the field other than in chucks of nine characters. Second, sometimes the cut-and-pasted URL will already start with 'http://', resulting in a doubling up of 'http://'.

I suppose what I need is a validation rule that requires the first seven characters of the value entered to be, in order, 'h', 't', 't', 'p', ':', '/' and '/'. How would I achieve this? Have you any better ideas?

Remster

PS As a subsidiary question, is there an input mask character that represents a string of unspecified length?

PPS A message from my nephew Benjamin:

[Remster]

I'm off home to try 'Like "http://*"'. I've no idea whether it will work, but it's all my research has thrown up so far. (I'm still interested in my postscript question, by the way.)

[LillMcGill]

It will work if it is a text field, but not if the data type is hyperlink.

PS: I don't know of any way to specify only the beginning of the pattern in an input mask.

[LillMcGill]

Oh and you could very easily have a bit of code to see if the entry starts with http:// , leaving it alone if it does, and concatenate http:// to the beginning if not.

[Remster]

Thanks, Lill. As it happens, the other method I mentioned seems to work.