Most countries require the postcode to be in a specifc format in order to be accepted by the post office. Usually the postcode has a defined length and some need spaces at specific positions in the code. Also, when linking to some databases, leading zeros in numeric codes might be lost. The postcode formatting feature in the program helps you to fix these problems.
Using this function, you can format a column displaying a database field containing postcode data, so that it correctly shows the postcodes. The format you apply only changes the appearance of the data. The format does not affect the actual field value in your database.
Since postcodes are country specific, availability of the function and the outcome depends on the country. Also, fields will only be formatted if the contents of the postcode is correct or can be corrected automatically.
To format a postcode field:
Click Edit in the Fields group on the Datasources tab and select the field the postcode you want to format.
Choose Postal in the Format box.
Please note that the Postal format can only be chosen if your database field is a text or number field.
Select a country in the Locale list and choose the postal format you want in the Type box.
Select OK.
NOTE: For more information about all other available fomats, see Edit database fields.