# Replace all

This function masks all characters from the input values.

This function can be used on Strings.

When using the FF1 with AES and FF1 with SHA-2 methods, the input values must contain at least two characters to mask. Otherwise, the function returns null.

| Option | Description |
| --- | --- |
| Method | The Randomly method randomly<br>selects a character. As a result, two identical input values can be masked with<br>the different output values.<br><br>When the same value appears<br>twice in the input data, the Consistently method ensures that the function outputs the<br>same masked value in the same Job execution.<br><br>This function can encrypt the output masked<br>values in the same format as the input values, using Format-Preserving Encryption (FPE)<br>methods:<br><br><ul> <li> <span>FF1 with AES</span> relies on the                Advanced Encryption Standard in CBC mode.</li> <li> <span>FF1 with SHA-2</span> relies on the                secure hash function HMAC-256.</li> </ul><br><br>The FPE methods are bijective methods, except when<br>using tweaks.<br><br>The FF1 with<br>AES and FF1 with SHA-2 methods<br>require a password to generate encrypted and repeatable masked values. Those FPE methods<br>do not use a seed.<br><br>You can specify this password in the<br>password for FF1 method field, from the<br>Advanced Settings of the component. |
| Extra parameter | The optional extra parameter must be a character. |

In the first two examples, all characters are replaced with the character define as an extra parameter.

In the third example, the masked value contains characters from all alphabets represented in the input value.

| Input value | Method | Alphabet | Extra parameter | Example of a masked value |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Jack | Randomly | - | "a" | aaaa |
| S1000D | Randomly | - | "4" | 444444 |
| S1000D | FF1 with<br>SHA-2 | Best<br>guess | - | 2MTW72 |