asked on

Hide part of a field- Social Security Number to show only last four digits-

I need to be able to convert a field that currently stores ssn- I need it to act like a password field where only the last four digits show and the rest are ***** on display. I was unable to do it with an input mask. This is a two part question 1. HOw do I convert existing data and will this remedy work for future inputs?

The ssn field is a text and has no placemarkers.

Thanks,
Melissa Farmer

Jim Horn

I don't believe you will be able to pull this off in the table definition.

You can, however, create a query off of that table, where the last four are displayed as Last4: Right(SSN, 4)

Hope this helps.
-Jim

Steve Bink

If the input mask didn't work for you, you'll have to set up the mask yourself. Jim's got the right idea for the data part. For the display, create a label in front of your SSN text box like this:

| xxx-xx- | 0000 |
label field info

FatCat1973

ASKER

Is there no way to edit the password input mask to work for this. I like that is stores the actual number but to view it is only an *

Melissa

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Jim Horn

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dannywareham

You can input mask the whole entry
If this is for viewing on a form, you can use a variation on Jim's method:

Dim myValue as String
myValue = Dlookup("yourfield", "yourtable", "RecID =" & chr(34) & Me.RecIDtextbox & chr(34))

myValue = Left(myValue,10) & "******"
Me.Textbox = myValue

Idea?

FatCat1973

ASKER

Thanks so much- Sometimes my visions are better than what is able to be done- but that works for me in a query.

Thanks,
Melissa :)

Jim Horn

Good luck with your hiding of sensitive informaiton. Now you just have to worry about keeping the tables with SSN's secure.

-Jim

FatCat1973

ASKER

Danny I was trying to convert the data at the table level- I have to send out copies of our database to another government agency and we wanted to hide those first five digits in the table :(

Jim Horn

>hide those first five digits in the table :(
Why not just run an UPDATE query to remove the first five digits? Tables are only intended to hold data, not to be a user interface, so if the end user of the table should not see the first five digits, just delete them. Just my .02.

FatCat1973

ASKER

That is excatly what I am going to do- thanks :)

dannywareham

>>That is excatly what I am going to do
Hence teh accepted answer, Jim

:-p

fxzmama

I had someone come to me with the same problem using Access 2007. They are storing the full social security number in their table but only want someone else using an input form to see part of it for identification purposes or print out a report with only the last four showing. Here is what I came up with (attached).
Access-2007-SSShow4Only-HowTo-LA.pdf