# HStore Mask This is a [composite generator](https://docs.tonic.ai/app/generation/generators/generator-types/generators-composite). Runs selected generators on specified key values in an HStore column in a PostgreSQL database. HStore columns contain a set of key-value pairs. ## Characteristics


Consistency	Determined by the selected sub-generators.
Linking	Determined by the selected sub-generators.
Differential privacy	Determined by the selected sub-generators.
Data-free	Determined by the selected sub-generators.
Allowed for primary keys	No
Allowed for unique columns	No
Uses format-preserving encryption (FPE)	No
Privacy ranking	5
Generator ID (for the API)	`HStoreMaskGenerator`

## How to configure ### Adding a sub-generator To assign a generator to a key: 1. Under **Sub-generators**, click **Add Generator**.\ \ On the sub-generator configuration panel, the **Cell HStore** field contains a sample value from the source database. You can use the previous and next icons to page through different values. 2. Under **Enter a key**, enter the name of a key from the column value.\ \ For example, for the column value:\ \ `"pages"=>"446", "title"=>"The Iliad", "category"=>"mythology"`\ \ To apply a generator to the title, you would enter `title` as the key.\ \ **Matched HStore Values** shows the result from the value in **Cell HStore**. 3. From the **Generator Configuration** dropdown list, select the generator to apply to the key value.\ \ You cannot select another composite generator. 4. Configure the selected generator.\ \ You cannot configure the selected generator to be consistent with another column. 5. To save the configuration and immediately add a generator for another key, click **Save and Add Another**.\ \ To save the configuration and close the add generator panel, click **Save**. ### Managing the sub-generators list From the **Sub-Generators** list: * To edit a generator assignment, click the edit icon. * To remove a generator assignment, click the delete icon. * To move a generator assignment up or down in the list, click the up or down arrow.