Every InfoPath form is based on a form template. Form templates help users enter and submit information in a consistent, systematic way. This in turn reduces the likelihood of data-entry errors and improves the overall process of gathering similar information from different people.

Among other things, a form template determines:

• The way sections are arranged on the form.
• The controls, labels, and instructional text that appear on the form.
• The way controls behave when users interact with them. For example, in a text box, you might prevent users from typing more than 50 characters.
• The fonts, colors, and other design elements used in the form.
• Whether users can customize the form— for example, by adding or deleting an optional section.
• Whether users are notified when they make mistakes in the form or forget to fill out a field.
• The views that are available to users.
• Where the data in a form is saved. For example, you might specify options that let users submit form data to a database.

Once you've finalized the design of a form template, you can make it available to others by publishing it as an .xsn file.

Note  The form template is actually comprised of several individual form files. These files ensure that when users fill out a form based on a form template, that form opens, displays, and functions properly. When designing a form, you can work with the form template's individual form files by using the Extract Form Files command to copy the form files to a folder on your computer. You might do this, for example, when you want to make manual changes to the form definition file.

When users fill out a form based on a form template, the data from that form is saved in XML format. Depending on the form's design, you may be able to do the following when filling out an InfoPath form:

• Format text you enter into the form, much like you would in a word processing program.
• Insert tables and lists that have the exact amount of rows or entries you want.
• Add optional sections to a form or replace one section with another.
• Review and fix errors in the form.
• Save forms to your computer and work offline.