I would like to permit the data entry of text , such as entering a telephone number, to not worry about the formatting but be formatted upon tabbing out of the field. For example, enter a phone number as 6107679560, and have the field format upon tabbing out of the field to (610) 767-9560. Over the years I have used other databases to do this with placeholders, but cannot find a way to do it in Filemaker 7.

Any advice?

Although it needs a major overhaul to be more contemporay exploiting Evaluate( etc. could it be done like this:

http://www.filemakerpros.com/FORMAT.sit

--sd

This problem has been discussed here many times. Here's the solution:

Let(Phone = Filter(Phone;"0123456789");"(" & Left(Phone;3) &

")" & " " & Middle(Phone;4;3) & "-" & Middle(Phone;7;4))

If you want to trap the wrong number of digits:

Let ( phoneHome = Filter ( phoneHome ; "0123456789" ) ;

Choose (Length ( phoneHome );

"Too few digits"; /* 0 result */

"Too few digits"; /* 1 result */

"Too few digits"; /* 2 result */

"Too few digits"; /* 3 result */

"Too few digits"; /* 4 result */

"Too few digits"; /* 5 result */

"Too few digits"; /* 6 result */

"Too few digits"; /* 7 result */

"Too few digits"; /* 8 result */

"Too few digits"; /* 9 result */

"(" & Left ( phoneHome ; 3) &

")" & " " & Middle ( phoneHome ;4 ;3 ) & "-" & Middle ( phoneHome ; 7 ; 4 )))

If you want to trap the wrong number of digits:

Let ( phoneHome = Filter ( phoneHome ; "0123456789" ) ;

Choose (Length ( phoneHome );

"Too few digits"; /* 0 result */

"Too few digits"; /* 1 result */

"Too few digits"; /* 2 result */

"Too few digits"; /* 3 result */

"Too few digits"; /* 4 result */

"Too few digits"; /* 5 result */

"Too few digits"; /* 6 result */

"Too few digits"; /* 7 result */

"Too few digits"; /* 8 result */

"Too few digits"; /* 9 result */

"(" & Left ( phoneHome ; 3) &

")" & " " & Middle ( phoneHome ;4 ;3 ) & "-" & Middle ( phoneHome ; 7 ; 4 )))

Probably better to leave the existing number in place and change the color rather than use "Too few digits". It makes it easier for the user to correct it.

Here's a nice custom function that does this:

http://www.briandunning.com/filemaker-custom-functions/detail.php?fn_id=41

If you don't have Developer, you can use the text of this function in a regular calc (with slight modification.) This is nice because it also handles numbers preceeded by a 1, and extensions after the number (x1234).