Require a specific data entry pattern in a control InfoPath 2007
Author: mety Labels:: Require a specific data entry pattern in a control InfoPath 2007Data validation is the ability to automatically check for errors while the user fills out a form. By adding data validation to controls in your form template, you can ensure that the data that you collect is accurate and consistent, and that it conforms to any standards that are already in use by your company. For example, you can use data validation to let users know when the amount that they enter for an expense item exceeds the approved amount, or when they mistakenly enter their name in a box that is used for collecting phone numbers. If a form contains data validation errors, and it is connected to a database or Web service, users won't be able to submit the form until they fix these errors. Users can save a local copy of the form, and then correct and submit the data later. This article explains how to use data validation to help ensure that the data that a user enters into a control matches a predetermined pattern. For example, you can add data validation to a text box control for a phone number to require the user to enter a three-digit area code as part of the number. Notes
In order to complete this procedure, your form template must contain a control that supports data validation. Although you can set a pattern-matching condition for any InfoPath control that supports data validation, pattern matching works best with controls that display characters, such as numbers, letters, or punctuation. For example, setting a pattern-matching condition for a text box may yield useful results, but setting such a condition for a check box will not yield useful results. Compatibility considerationsWhen you design a form template in InfoPath, you can choose a specific compatibility mode to design a browser-compatible form template. When a browser-compatible form template is published to a server running InfoPath Forms Services, and then browser-enabled, forms based on the form template can be viewed in a Web browser. When you design a browser-compatible form template, some controls are unavailable in the Controls task pane because they cannot be displayed in a Web browser. Some data validation features work differently in a Web browser than they do in InfoPath. For example, when you add data validation to a control, you create explanatory text to be displayed when a user enters invalid data into that control. You can have this explanatory text appear in a ScreenTip, and optionally allow users to display an alert that contains additional information, or you can have the alert appear automatically when a user enters invalid data. Alerts cannot be displayed automatically for forms that are viewed in a Web browser, but users can still view the ScreenTip, and optionally display an alert containing additional information. The following table lists the Microsoft Office InfoPath 2007 controls that support data validation and whether they are available for browser-compatible form templates. Note Although you can set a pattern-matching condition for any InfoPath control that supports data validation, pattern matching works best with controls that display characters, such as numbers, letters, or punctuation. For example, setting a pattern-matching condition for a text box may yield useful results, but setting such a condition for a check box will not yield useful results.
Require a specific data entry pattern in a control
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List of controls that support data validation 
