You can use the same technique as for the telephone mask.
Make a field statusValue, text, popup list, valuelist with Active, Inactive etc.
Make your Em_Status a calculation with case statement, something like :
Case (
statusValue = “Active” ; “1”;
statusValue = “Inactive ; “2” ;
statusValue = “Cancelled” ; “3”
)
There are other ways to do this calc, but this is more ‘clear’....
Put the statusValue ‘behind’ the Em_Status on the layout, Em_Status not enterable and out of the tab order.
Users will tab/click into the statusValue, made their choice in the popuplist and the according number will be displayed in Em_Status....
There are other ways to accomplish this, but with this one you learn to apply the same technique for different purposes
HTH
JW