# IF MASK option

**URL:** <https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/if-mask-option/100749>\
**Category:** Forum\
**Tags:** Adabas-Natural, Natural, Natural-on-Linux\
**Created:** [June 15, 2012, 3:24pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/if-mask-option/100749 "2012-06-15T15:24:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Matthias1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc348/32.png) [@Matthias1](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/Matthias1)\
**Post date:** [June 15, 2012, 3:24pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/if-mask-option/100749/1 "2012-06-15T15:24:54Z")

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Hello all

```auto
define data local
01 #a16 (A16) init <'21.06.2012-04:50'>
01 #t (T)
end-define
if #a16 = mask(DD.MM.YYYY'-'HH':'NN) /* works
  move edited #a16 to #t (EM=DD.MM.YYYY-HH:II)
end-if
if #a16 = mask(DD.MM.YYYY'-'HH':'II) /* NAT258
  move edited #a16 to #t (EM=DD.MM.YYYY-HH:II)
end-if
display #t (EM=YYYY-MM-DD^HH:II)
end
```

Stupid question: Why that NAT258?

Matthias

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Matthias1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc348/32.png) [@Matthias1](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/Matthias1)\
**Post date:** [June 15, 2012, 3:32pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/if-mask-option/100749/2 "2012-06-15T15:32:20Z")

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OK, OK. I got it. :oops:

MASK has a different meaning here. Within the IF Mask option, HH stands for hexadecimal content, II is undefined.

[http://techcommunity.softwareag.com/ecosystem/documentation/natural/nat6310unx/pg/pg\_furth\_lcc.htm#Mask\_Characters](http://techcommunity.softwareag.com/ecosystem/documentation/natural/nat6310unx/pg/pg_furth_lcc.htm#Mask_Characters)  
[http://techcommunity.softwareag.com/ecosystem/documentation/natural/nat6310unx/parms/sp\_em.htm#sp\_em\_DFDTFT](http://techcommunity.softwareag.com/ecosystem/documentation/natural/nat6310unx/parms/sp_em.htm#sp_em_DFDTFT)

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**Author:** ![Finn\_the\_Dane1](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/techcommunity/user_avatar/techcommunity.softwareag.com/finn_the_dane1/32/132_2.png) [@Finn\_the\_Dane1](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/Finn_the_Dane1)\
**Post date:** [June 15, 2012, 3:51pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/if-mask-option/100749/3 "2012-06-15T15:51:20Z")

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Hi Matthias  
I searched a bit and found that others have met this before.

The relatively simple workaround (I found same place) was to use intervals like these:

MASK(00:23’.‘00:59’.'00:59)

Finn

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/techcommunity/original/3X/c/d/cd19967bb605d28a72d77eb83a1cae22f3df2eb8.svg) [@system](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [April 2, 2021, 3:02pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/if-mask-option/100749/4 "2021-04-02T15:02:04Z")

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