Determines the format in which data associated with a dialog element is to be stored internally.
The selection of the appropriate format ensures that sorting works as intended. For example, if a list view column may contain numeric data, the choice of one of the numeric FORMAT values ensures that the value "10" is collated after the value "1", for example. In addition, specification of a format allows an EDIT-MASK to be used, if required, since edit masks in Natural contain type-specific special characters. Lastly, choosing the correct format can help save space and can change the default display representation in the case where an edit mask is not being used.
If the format is set to FT-ALPHA, only the actual number of characters used (up to a maximum of 253) are stored internally.
For more information, please refer to the articles Working with List View Controls and Working with Tree View Controls.
| Applies to | List view column, tree view item. |
|---|---|
| Data Type | I4 |
| Default Value | FT-ALPHA (0) |
| Possible Values |
FT-ALPHA (0) = format An (where n = actual length) |