# Mask for entering and displaying data in Char fields
**URL:** https://discuss.tryton.org/t/mask-for-entering-and-displaying-data-in-char-fields/1411
**Category:** Developer
**Created:** [May 23, 2019, 1:43pm UTC](https://discuss.tryton.org/t/mask-for-entering-and-displaying-data-in-char-fields/1411 "2019-05-23T13:43:50Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@bell](https://discuss.tryton.org/u/bell)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2019, 1:43pm UTC](https://discuss.tryton.org/t/mask-for-entering-and-displaying-data-in-char-fields/1411/1 "2019-05-23T13:43:50Z")
Is it possible to use a mask to enter and display data in Char fields?
(Something like `inputMask` property of `QLineEdit` widget in `Qt`.)
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### Author:  [@ced](https://discuss.tryton.org/u/ced)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2019, 2:43pm UTC](https://discuss.tryton.org/t/mask-for-entering-and-displaying-data-in-char-fields/1411/2 "2019-05-23T14:43:20Z")
We do not have such feature but you can define a domain on the Char field which tries to validate the input.
But it may be a good improvement to validate input using the domain.
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### Author:  [@bell](https://discuss.tryton.org/u/bell)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2019, 3:53pm UTC](https://discuss.tryton.org/t/mask-for-entering-and-displaying-data-in-char-fields/1411/3 "2019-05-23T15:53:11Z")
I would like to enter the IP-address (000.000.000.000) without dots or MAC-address (HH:HH:HH:HH:HH:HH) without colons, but the separators (dots, colons) should be visible when entering.
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### Author:  [@ced](https://discuss.tryton.org/u/ced)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2019, 3:56pm UTC](https://discuss.tryton.org/t/mask-for-entering-and-displaying-data-in-char-fields/1411/4 "2019-05-23T15:56:40Z")
Well maybe you can do like the phone number on contact mechanism. Having a formatted and compact value synchronized.
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### Author:  [@fransuar](https://discuss.tryton.org/u/fransuar)
#### Post date: [April 25, 2022, 2:35pm UTC](https://discuss.tryton.org/t/mask-for-entering-and-displaying-data-in-char-fields/1411/5 "2022-04-25T14:35:26Z")
Hi. I have done something similar for what you are asking for. Maybe it results useful
```auto
import re
mac_address = fields.Char('MAC address',
help="Format FF:FF:FF:FF:FF:FF", size=17,
domain=[
('mac_address_length','=', 17),
('mac_address_validation', '!=',
Eval('mac_address_invalid_string'))
])
mac_address_length = fields.Integer('MAC address length')
mac_address_validation = fields.Char('MAC address validation')
mac_address_invalid_string = fields.Function(
fields.Char('Invalid string'),
'get_mac_address_invalid_string')
mac_address_check = fields.Function(
fields.Boolean('MAC address valid', help="Checked if the address is right"),
'on_change_with_mac_address_check')
def get_mac_address_invalid_string(self, name=None):
return gettext('maintenance_main.msg_non_valid_format')
@fields.depends('mac_address')
def on_change_with_mac_address_length(self, name=None):
return self._get_mac_address_lenght()
@fields.depends('mac_address')
def on_change_with_mac_address_check(self, name=None):
res = False
if self._get_mac_address_lenght() == 17 and \
self._get_mac_address_validation() != \
gettext('maintenance_main.msg_non_valid_format'):
res = True
return res
@fields.depends('mac_address')
def on_change_with_mac_address_validation(self, name=None):
return self._get_mac_address_validation()
def _get_mac_address_lenght(self):
if self.mac_address:
return len(self.mac_address)
return 17
def _get_mac_address_validation(self):
if self.mac_address:
p = re.compile(r'(?:[0-9a-fA-F]:?){12}')
res = re.findall(p, self.mac_address)
if len(res) == 1 and res[0] == self.mac_address:
return 'Valid format'
return gettext('maintenance_main.msg_non_valid_format')
return 'no mac address'
@staticmethod
def default_mac_address_invalid_string():
return gettext('maintenance_main.msg_non_valid_format')
```
Hope it helps for someone else.
Regards
Francisco
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### Author:  [@bell](https://discuss.tryton.org/u/bell)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2022, 11:48am UTC](https://discuss.tryton.org/t/mask-for-entering-and-displaying-data-in-char-fields/1411/6 "2022-04-29T11:48:14Z")
Thanks a lot for the helpful solution. We will use it after the war.
We are from Ukraine. [Stop war in Ukraine](https://stopwarukraine.com/)
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### Author:  [@system](https://discuss.tryton.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2022, 11:48am UTC](https://discuss.tryton.org/t/mask-for-entering-and-displaying-data-in-char-fields/1411/7 "2022-05-29T11:48:44Z")
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