Padded to > Counts Toward Min Content

When you select Padded to > Min Content, the Counts Toward Min Content field is displayed. Use this setting to specify if pad characters should count toward the length of an object when determining if it meets its minimum content length.

Yes: Pad characters are included in the count for the length of an object.
No: Pad characters are not counted toward the length of an object.

You can use the Propagate function here to propagate the present Counts Toward Min Content value to the subtypes of the present type, if present.

If you are using the trace option, there might be cases where in the trace file the content length appears to be different than the input length. A trace file lists the input length (the length used to validate an object), which includes the input length of each object plus the pad characters. In the case of numbers, signs and separators are also counted in the length.

Counts Toward Min Content > AcceptAllPads

The AcceptAllPads property is applicable to data objects that contain only pad characters. Use this property when you need an object that contains only pad characters (no content) to either pass or fail validation depending on whether it is a mandatory or an optional type, regardless of the minimum size requirement.

Yes: When an object contains only pad characters, the minimum size requirement is ignored and the object passes size validation. The object then passes or fails type validation depending on whether it is a mandatory or an optional type.
No: (Default setting) Pad characters do not count toward the minimum size requirement, therefore an object that contains only pad characters and that does not meet the minimum size (content) requirement fails size validation.

Example

The results of the following examples are based on these values:

Size (content): 5
Pad: Yes
Pad > Padded to: Min Content
Padded to > Counts Toward Min Content: No

Default Behavior: When Accept All Pads is set to No, the following results occur:

Input Data (X = pad character): Valid?
ABCDE: Yes
ABC: No
ABCXX: No
XXXXX: No

When Accept All Pads is set to Yes, the following results occur:

Input Data (X = pad character): Valid?
ABCDE: Yes
ABC: No
ABCXX: No
XXXXX: Yes (when type is optional)
No (when type is mandatory)
X: Yes (when type is optional)
No (when type is mandatory)