# Replace the first n characters This function masks the first n characters, while the following ones remain as is. | Option | Description | | --- | --- | | Method | The Randomly method randomly
selects a character. As a result, two identical input values can be masked with
different output values.

When the same value appears twice in
the input data, the Consistently
method ensures that the function outputs the same masked value in the same
Job execution.

This function can encrypt the output masked
values in the same format as the input values, using Format-Preserving Encryption (FPE)
methods:



The FPE methods are bijective methods, except when
using tweaks.

The FF1 with
AES and FF1 with SHA-2 methods
require a password to generate encrypted and repeatable masked values. Those FPE methods
do not use a seed.

You can specify this password in the
password for FF1 method field, from the
Advanced Settings of the component. | | Extra parameter | This function requires an extra parameter.

The extra parameter must be a number.
This is the number of characters to be masked.

You
can enter a second extra parameter, which is the replacement
character. | In the following examples, the first two characters from the input values are masked. In the first example, the replacement character is not defined. The first two characters are masked with random characters. In the second example, the first two characters are masked with the defined character. | Input value | Method | Extra parameter | Example of a masked value | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Jack | Randomly | "2" | Pvck | | S1000D | Randomly | "2,s" | ss000D |