Layout Tutorial: Edit Other Object Properties

PerfectForms™ Tutorials > Layout Tutorial: Purchase Order Request >

There are four item types that can be selected to have their properties modified:

•	Form - Load Form Properties into the Properties bar by clicking in the background of the layout canvas but not on the form itself.

•	Page - Load Page Properties into the Properties bar by clicking on the page background but not on an object or group.

•	Group - Load group properties by clicking on a group but not on an object.

•	Object - Load object properties by clicking on an object.

In order to help control the format of the data being input, it is possible to specify a format for individual objects. There are two objects on the form for applicant and manager email.

1.	Select the Applicant Email text input object.

2.	In object properties, select Email from the Format drop-down.

3.	Repeat for the Manager Email text object.

Note: The format check for objects will not take place until the form is submitted. The verification process only highlights the object if the wrong format is used. This feature should be used in conjunction with a mandatory field check which we will see later. If your form has multiple pages, it might be preferable to use behaviors to perform these checks as each page is completed, rather than wait until the form is submitted. In our example, the form is submitted once this page has been completed.

1.	Select the four text input objects together by clicking each one in turn with the SHIFT key pressed. Each object should now be in the selected state with a dotted line border.

2.	In the Properties bar, scroll down until you get to the Navigation section. Change the width from 160 to 120.

Note: When multiple objects are selected, the properties options are reduced to only show the common properties shared among the selected objects.

3.	Select the Drop-Down object.

4.	Change the name to ‘Department’.

5.	In the Items section of the Properties bar, click the add item button twice to add two more options to the list.

6.	Select each item caption in the Items list and change to a suitable department name.

7.	Clear the Selected check box for the first item on the list.

8.	Modify the width to 120.

9.	Select the date object.

10.	In the Properties bar, change the name to ‘Required by date’.

11.	Change the from years to the current year, as this date object will only be used for future dates.

12.	Change the date format to suit your preferred choice.

13.	Modify the width to 120.

Note: In the Properties bar you can expand and collapse the individual sections by clicking the arrows on the blue section title.

If you want to display default text in a text input object when the form first opens then add it in the Text section of the Properties bar.

The default maximum number of characters is 99 but this can also be changed in object properties as can the format of the input text. In our example form we do not want to change any of these properties.

Updated: 6/6/2011 Page url: http://www.perfectforms.com/Documentation/complete_tutorial/html/?fl_setting_properties.htm
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