Configuring the VRL mask

In this way, masks can be created to define field formats used in multiple places. Each mask is composed of one or more subfields, which contain the actual data within the record. A mask is a template that is used to define data fields that have the same layout. The mask is comparable to a template field definition that is used repeatedly.

For example, a client name mask defines a template of what a client name field looks similar to (that is, its subfield layout).

Defining a mask is similar to defining a field within a record layout.

  1. To create a new file or open an existing one, select Define > Define Masks.
  2. Select New Field from the toolbar. This places a new mask in the Layout pane.
  3. For Name, specify the mask name.
  4. For Data TypeA mask is a template that is used to define data fields that have the same, click the arrow to select from a menu of data types.
  5. For Prefix, specify the characters that precede this field, to separate it from the previous field in the record layout. This value is optional.
  6. For Postfix, specify the characters that follow this field, to separate it from the next field in the record layout. This value is optional.
  7. For Min Width, specify the minimum width of the field, not including any prefix.
  8. For Max Width, specify the maximum width of the field, not including any prefix. To disable, specify a value of -1 (default). For a specific width, specify the value. Incoming data larger than that value is truncated.
  9. For SF Sep, specify a subfield-separator character.
  10. For Escape Pair, specify a start escape-sequence character and an end escape-sequence character. Escape-sequence characters are useful when using field-separator characters in the data. The default is "". Unique or identical characters are permitted.
    All separator characters that are found inside escape-sequence pairs are considered escaped, and when retrieving data they are not considered as separators.
    When encoding VRL data, if separator characters are found in the input data, they are escaped by embracing them with escape-sequence pair characters. For example, {Last, First} is encoded to {Last"," First}.
  11. For Tag, specify a user-defined string. If one field has a tag, then all fields must have tags. The Tag name can be the same as Name. For example, "last name" for both. Or, it may be unique. For example, "last name" for Name and "ClientLN" for the Tag name.
    This option is available only when Use Tagged Fields is selected on the Global Properties dialog box. See Global properties .
  12. Select the validation.
    Validate at Fetch validates the field whenever this record layout is retrieved or used for an input or output operation. With this selected, messages with an invalid field are parsed, but a warning is given.
    Validate at Parse validates the field when the data is parsed. This option forces validation even when the field is not used. With this selected, messages with an invalid field fail when parsed.
  13. Select how to validate the subsubfield data whenever this record layout is used as an input or output record.
    Existence validates the existence of the data, but not its content.
    Contents validates the type of data, but not its existence.
    Existence and Contents validate both the existence and the content of the data.