Format properties

The Format properties masking activity allows you to create a custom value format and use record properties as parameters.

Table of contents
Usage
Example
Properties

Usage

To use the Format properties masking activity, it must be placed inside a table masking activity or a similar activity that iterates over data. Once placed, select the property you want to mask. Next, set the composite format string you want the mask data to be in. Lastly, add the parameters by either using the Property Selector window to choose the record properties you want to use as parameters, or by listing the properties yourself.

Property selector Figure 1: Masking transaction descriptions with a custom format

Additionally, you can choose your own FormatProvider in the properties. If you leave this property empty, the default format provider will be used.

Example

In this example we already set the masking algorithm for the Amount and Date columns in the Transaction table, but we also want to use these values to generate an appropriate transaction Description and the Format properties masking activity can help us do this. First we place the Transaction masking activity and put the Format properties masking activity within it. Next, we choose the Description property that we want to mask. For the format, we put "{0} payed on {1:dd-MM-yyyy}". The first parameter, Amount, will replace the {0} part of the format, and the second parameter, Date, will replace the {1} part of the format in the specified date format (dd-MM-yyyy). Next, we click on the ... button to open the Property Selector where we select Amount as the first parameter, and Date as the second parameter. We leave other properties as they are.

Format properties example Figure 2: Masking transaction descriptions with a custom format

Properties

Property group	Property name	Description	Example
Input properties	DataItemProperty	The property to mask.	Write `x => x.Description` or choose property from the dropdown list
	FormatArgs	The function to use to get the replacement value.	`Amount, Date`
	FormatProvider	The function to use to get the replacement value.	`CultureInfo.InvariantCulture`
	FormatString	The function to use to get the replacement value.	`"{0} payed on {1:dd-MM-yyyy}"`
Input: Filter	Filter	Expression used for filtering records - only filtered items will be masked.	`x => x.Description.Length > 0`
	SkipDefaultValues	If true, default values will be omitted in masking (i.e. null values are not masked).	`true` or `false`
Input: Repeating	RepeaterId	The ID of the repeater that will be used to detect repeating and save results when masking item key repeats.	`DescriptionRepeater`
	RepeatingKey	Key to use for repeating detection.	Write `x => CompositeKey.Create(x.Description)` or choose properties from the pop-up window
Misc	DisplayName	Display name of the activity in the workflow.	`Format properties`
	Result	Contains the masking definition object. It's a part of the masking infrastructure and should be ignored.	-