SftMask/DLL Wizard - Design Pages
The SftMask/DLL Wizard uses several design tab pages to define the look and behavior of a masked edit control. Settings made on these pages are reflected immediately in the sample masked edit control, which is fully interactive so data entry can be tested. When the desired control has been achieved, the C and C++/MFC tabs produce the source code needed to create and initialize the masked edit control in an application.
Quick Setup
The Quick Setup page offers predefined control styles - 5-digit ZIP code, 9-digit ZIP+4, social security number, US telephone number, dates, times, date/time, currency amounts (with and without the calculator), percentage, IP address (with and without spin buttons), password, simple text, numbers and path entry with file/folder autocomplete. Selecting a style replaces the current settings (after confirmation) and configures the sample control accordingly. The predefined styles are a starting point - all settings can be refined on the other design pages afterwards.
Style
The Style page controls the mask and the overall behavior of the control. The preview mode check boxes at the top of the page (Normal Mode, Dark Mode, High Contrast Mode) affect only how the sample control is rendered in the Sample window - they are not part of the generated source code.
| Group | Description |
|---|
| Appearance | Theme use and whether the control supports Dark Mode and High Contrast Mode (AUTO tracking of the Windows settings). |
| Mask && Contents | The edit mask (see Edit Masks for the token reference), the initial contents, the default text (applied when empty, e.g. =Today), the prompt and password characters, the maximum length (used without a mask) and prompt underlining. |
| Edit Control | The edit style (up-down buttons, calendar drop down, ellipse button), border style, alignment, input mode (insert/overtype), entry selection, clipboard handling (with/without literals) and default text handling (immediate/delayed). |
| Behavior | Behavior flags such as allow empty, auto advance, autosize height, auto tab when valid, hide selection, hover highlighting, insert mode, locked (read-only), date/time padding, tabbing between fields and button locking. |
Caption/Label
The Caption/Label page defines the built-in caption (text, transparency, position, alignment, vertical alignment, size percent and pixel width) and the label displayed inside the edit area (text and position; | displays the locale currency symbol). See Built-In Caption and Label.
Validation
The Validation page defines the error messages (empty, invalid, required, message title), the error images and their position and handling, and the formatted text displayed while the control does not have the input focus. See Input Validation and Error Image.
Calendar
The Calendar page defines the popup calendar settings - first day of week, century break, date range, today display, week numbers, drop-on-focus and single-click-close behavior. See Popup Calendar.
Calc/AutoComplete
The Calc/AutoComplete page defines the popup calculator settings (lines, visible lines, fractional digits) and the autocomplete settings (mode, contents, save file, encryption, case handling, entry limits and window sizing). See Popup Calculator and AutoComplete.
Colors
The Colors page assigns the colors used by the masked edit control. Select an area in the Control area list (edit area, literals, selection, focus and invalid states, caption, calculator, calendar), then pick a color for it from the Color list. Selecting (Custom) and clicking the color swatch opens the standard color picker.
Class Info
Based on the information entered on this page, the generated source code is adjusted to reflect the following settings:
| Label | Description |
|---|
| Resource ID | Enter the ID used for the masked edit control in a DIALOG resource or as a child window. |
| C (HWND variable) | Enter the variable name used to hold the window handle of the masked edit control in a C application. This field is not used for C++ applications. |
| C++/MFC (CSftMask member) | Enter the variable name used for the C++ masked edit control object, as used by the parent window of the masked edit control. |
Events
All notifications generated by the masked edit control are displayed in a list as they occur. Interact with the sample control to populate the list. This is useful for understanding which notifications fire and when.
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