Originally posted by: SystemAdmin

In a previous post, I asked about 'release characters' (http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/forums/thread.jspa?threadID=226365) but it looks like I had my choice of words wrong. What I'd really like to do is make a restriction in my input type tree, with WTX finding the character(s) I don't want and putting in what I do want.

So, if my input field (text) is:
This'Is@My#Data/

And what I want is:
This''Is'@My'#Data'/

I thought I could set a Character Restriction with Rule = Exclude. Then in the item window set:
Exclude Reference String
' ''
@ '@

1. '#

/ '/

My understanding is that WTX would see each of the Exclude characters and replace them with the Reference String, but I keep getting One or more inputs invalid errors when I try to run the map. Is there a way to use the restrictions/rules like this on the Input side? It doesn't seem to matter if I set the Rule to Include or Exclude.

I'm so confused.
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Originally posted by: SystemAdmin

My understanding is that the reference string is just a "comment" feature. For example, the pre-built X12 type trees will give a plain English description for each permitted qualifier in the reference string.

Jesse
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Originally posted by: SystemAdmin

That's my understanding when the Restriction = Value. The item window has a column for Include and Description.

But when Restriction = Character and Rule = Include, the two columns are Include First and Include After. For Restriction = Character and Rule = Exclude, the columns are Exclude and Reference String.

And the documentation on the different settings just isn't sinking in for me. For Character-Include:
+Include character restrictions

When the Restrictions field is set to Character and Restrictions Rule is set to Include, the Include First and Include After columns are present in the item window.

Include First column: Defines the first character of a character list.
Include After column: Defines the character list of the characters to follow the first character (defined in the Include First column).

For example, the first character could be a letter and all characters that follow could be either letters or digits.+

The "example" here makes no sense to me? A 'sample' with an explanation of how to do the setup would be great. I've tried several permutations of setting up the Restrictions and just can't get the behavior I want.
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Originally posted by: NancyR

If you set your properties for Character restrictions and the rule to exclude your restriction window will have two columns-one for the excluded characters and one for the Reference String. In that case, your input will still be invalid if it contains the character string. However if a mapping rule results in a value that matches one of your excluded character strings, WTX will substitute the Reference String for it in your output.
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Originally posted by: SystemAdmin

If the want the string should accept contain valid values then include.
If you want the string should accept certain invalid values but replace or remove then exclude (reference string can be blank (to remove), else it is like replace).
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