Click the Browser button to toggle back to the Browser view.

Toolbox and Browser Bar

Click the Help button to launch context-sensitive help documentation specific to the Layout Toolbox bar.

Form Designer Help Links and Help Center

Text; Small Text

Can convey instructions, general information or act as labels your form objects. A label is simply text that is shown near an object and identifies that form object. Example:

(First Name is the label.)

Each option has unique style and size settings assigned as default. These settings can be modified in the Properties bar.

Modifying Form Styles

Text Properties Reference

Large Heading

Medium Heading

Small Heading

Like the Text objects, headings can convey instructions, general information or act as labels for your form objects. The default font types and sizes make these ideal as headings for object groupings on your form. Example:

("Contractor Information" is a Small Heading object.)

Each option has unique style and size settings assigned as default. These settings can be modified in the Properties bar.

Modifying Form Styles

Text Properties Reference

Picture

Contains a previously uploaded graphic asset. Pictures can be added as single page elements or used as a page background for aesthetic purposes. Multimedia (picture, movie, or sound) files that you add from your PC are called Form Assets and must first be added from the Browser bar.

Adding a Picture or Graphic

Picture Properties Reference

Button

Initiates a particular action; examples include submitting data or navigating to another page or dialog. Requires a specific behavior or related action to be associated with the button.

Adding Behaviors topics

Button Properties Reference

Submit Button

Forces the form to submit data back to the server.  Use the Submit button when you do not need additional behavior running upon the user clicking the button. If you want to use more complex behavior, use a Button object. Properties include After Submission ... properties that allow you to specify the action taken after the Submit button is clicked, including reloading the current form instance (known as an 'invisible submit' or save), launching a new instance and other actions. 

Adding a Submit Button

Using a Submit Button Object as a Save Button

Submit Button Properties Reference

Submit Data Behavior Command

Page Button

Allows users to navigate to other pages including Next, Previous, Back to Last Shown or Specific.

Page Button Properties Reference

Group

Use the group object to group user controls (check boxes, radio buttons, text input, labels, etc) and enforce relationships between the objects. Grouping objects also allows you to move the group collectively and modify group properties.

Grouping Objects Together

Group Properties Reference

Text Input

Allows form users to enter or edit text on a single line.

Text Input Properties Reference

Multiline Text Input

Allows form users to enter or edit text on multiple lines.

Multiline Text Input Properties Reference

Numeric Input

Allows form users to enter or edit numeric data only.

Calculations and Setting Field Values

Numeric Calculations

Numeric Input Properties Reference

Date Input

Allows the form user to input formatted dates or select from a calendar date picker. Several date formats such as MMDDYY are supported.

Calculations and Setting Field Values

Date and Time Calculations

Date Input Properties Reference

Date and Time Calculations Example

Time Input

Allows form users to enter, edit or select a time.

Time Input Properties Reference

Date and Time Calculations

Date and Time Calculations Example

Date Calendar

Displays a calendar object to the form user.

Date Calendar Properties Reference

Date and Time Calculations Example

Check Box Group

Consists of three check box objects that can be placed on a page as a linked group. The advantage over dragging individual check boxes separately to the page is that you reduce steps since the group can be moved as a single unit. This helps you avoid the task of aligning and formatting separate objects.

Grouping Check Boxes

Check Box Group Properties Reference

Radio Buttons and Check Boxes Example

Check Box

Allows form users to make either an individual choice (single check box) or multiple choices (group of check boxes). They should be used to toggle an option on or off or to select or deselect an item.

Adding Check Boxes

Check Box Properties Reference

Radio Buttons and Check Boxes Example

Radio Button Group

Consists of two radio buttons that are placed on a page as a linked group. You may add more radio buttons to this default grouping. The advantage over dragging individual radio buttons separately to the page is that you reduce steps since the group can be moved as a single unit and you avoid the task of aligning and formatting separate objects.

Grouping Radio Buttons

Radio Button Group Properties Reference

Radio Buttons and Check Boxes Example

Radio Button

Allows form users to select a single choice from a group of related options. Users can choose one and only one option. A single radio button should never be used alone. If you need to select more than one choice from a group of options, a check box is the appropriate user control object.

Note: As a usability guideline, radio buttons should be used when the number of options is between two and seven. You should indicate an initial default selection if one is appropriate.

Adding Radio Buttons

Radio Button Properties Reference

Radio Buttons and Check Boxes Example

Drop-down

Presents a pre-defined set of selection options for the form user to choose from.

The drop-down differs from the list object in the following ways:

•  List options are not initially visible.

•  List options are presented on-demand.

•  Only one option can be selected at a time (no multiple selection option).

•  A default option can be set.

Drop-down Properties Reference

List

Displays a list of options for the user that are always visible. The user can select one or more choices from the list. List boxes are best used to display a large number of options.

An alternative choice to save space is a drop-down list box.

List Properties Reference

Bullet Text

Improves form readability and can be used to draw attention to important information. Introduce the list with a sentence or sentence fragment, so users understand the point or topic of the information presented.

Bullet Text Properties Reference

Vertical Separator

Visually groups information or objects on the page. It is a single line (positioned either vertically or horizontally).

Vertical Separator Properties Reference

Horizontal Separator

Visually groups information or objects on the page. It is a single line (positioned either vertically or horizontally).

Horizontal Separator Properties Reference

Sound

Plays a sound file. You have the ability to add multimedia files such as movies or sounds to a form. The stored multimedia files that you add to a form from your PC are called Form Assets and they must first be uploaded on the Browser bar.

Sound Properties Reference

Movie

Displays and plays a movie file. You have the ability to add multimedia files such as movies or sounds to a form. The stored multimedia files that you add to a form from your PC are called form assets and they must first be uploaded on the Browser bar.

Adding a Picture or Graphic

Movie Properties Reference

Link

Allows form users to navigate to another page, window, or help topic; display a definition; initiate a command; or choose an option. The URL can be static text, a URL pulled from a field, a special value or a result of a formula.

Link Properties Reference

Progress Bar

Allows form users to follow the progress of page loading. Accurate and timely feedback is important to minimize user frustration with delays.

Progress Bar Properties Reference

Timer

Triggers events after a defined time period. For example, you might display a page on the form for 10 seconds and then after 10 seconds elapses a behavior is called and it will change page. Or, use this object to record how long a form remains open.

Timer Properties Reference

To see a demonstration of the Timer object, see the Timer Object Example topic (available only in the online  version of this help guide).

Print Button

Allows form users to print the form instance they are working with. The form designer can select which pages of the form should be printed such as All, Current or Specific. Note that even if the All Pages property has been selected, hidden pages or form objects are not printed.

Adding a Print Button

Print Button Properties Reference

Captcha

Presents a random set of characters in a distorted format. This can be used to confirm submission of data by a human respondent and can be interrogated using behaviors. The object character length can be set in object properties along with style and navigation. The Captcha object is not included in the Form Properties > Theme section so properties must be set in the object properties only.

Captcha Properties Reference

Mask Text Input

Allows you to require a valid format or pattern of data in the input. Phone numbers, Zip codes and social security numbers are the most common data requested through the use of this type of object.

Validating Data Entry

Mask Text Input Properties Reference

Numeric Stepper

Allows form users to incrementally change the value within the numeric text box or type in the exact numeric value directly. Numeric steppers are commonly used to enter smaller numbers (under 100) and are used only with contiguous value ranges.    

Numeric Stepper Properties Reference

Password Input

Allows form users to enter a masked password. Password input is simply a text input field that masks or disguises text entry as the user enters the information.

Password Input Properties Reference

File Attachment

Allows form users to click an Attach button and select a file for uploading. Once the file is selected, the file is uploaded and the file name is displayed in the read-only text field. After a file is attached, the push button changes to a Detach button to allow the user to remove the file.

File Attachment Properties Reference

Image Import

Allows form users to access attached image acquisition devices including:

In most cases, the Image Import results in a bitmap image being returned to the form. The image itself is displayed within the form and is attached to the form automatically.

Note: This object is currently only available for Internet Explorer users.

Adding Image Acquisition Capabilities

Image Import Properties Reference

Vertical Slider

Allows form users to choose from a continuous range of values.

A slider has a bar that shows the range and an indicator that shows the current value. Optional tick marks show values. Incorporate a slider when you want your users to be able to set defined, contiguous values (such as volume or brightness) or a range of discrete values (such as screen resolution settings). The decision to use a vertical or horizontal slider should be dependent on your design and available screen space.

Vertical Slider Properties Reference

Horizontal Slider

Allows form users to choose from a continuous range of values.

A slider has a bar that shows the range and an indicator that shows the current value. Optional tick marks show values. Incorporate a slider when you want your users to be able to set defined, contiguous values (such as volume or brightness) or a range of discrete values (such as screen resolution settings). The decision to use a vertical or horizontal slider should be dependent on your design and available screen space.

Horizontal Slider Properties Reference

Table

Organizes related information into a series of rows and columns. The form user has the ability to add or remove rows to the table. Each field in the table is referred to as a cell. You can define a cell to contain different user control objects (e.g. text input, button, check box, drop-down list, file attachment).

Table Properties Reference

Working with Tables

Performing Row Calculations

Performing Column Calculations

Ranking

Use a ranking object to present the user a list of options for which they can indicate a rank order by moving items up or down on the list.

Ranking Properties Reference

Show Form Button

Allows form users to load another form instance. Optional properties allow you to pass custom parameters into the form instance when the form user clicks the button.

Show Form Button Properties Reference

Show Form Behavior Properties

Linking Forms and Using Parent-Child Relationships

Creating and Managing Child Instances

Show Report Button

Allows form users to load a report. Optional properties allow you to pass custom parameters into the report when the form user clicks the button.

Show Report Button Properties Reference

Show Report Behavior Properties

Administering Connections and Integration topics