Enable or disable a custom task pane
A custom task pane is an .html file whose content is displayed in a Microsoft Office InfoPath 2003 task pane when a user fills out a form. Custom task panes can provide form-specific commands and Help content. You can add a custom task pane file directly to your form, so that users can work with the form and task pane while offline, or you can link the custom task pane to the form from another location.
Note Before enabling a custom task pane, you must first create an .html file by using an HTML editor such as Microsoft Office FrontPage.
Enable a custom task pane that is part of the form
- In design mode, click Form Options on the Tools menu, and then click the Advanced tab.
- Select the Enable custom task pane check box.
- In the Task pane name box, type the name that you want to appear at the top of the custom task pane.
- Click Resource Files.
- In the Resource Files dialog box, click Add.
- In the Add File dialog box, browse to and select the .html file you want, and then click OK.
- If the .html file you added references additional files, such as cascading style sheet (.css) files, add those files as well.
- In the Form Options dialog box, click the .html file you want in the Task pane location box.
- To test the custom task pane, click Preview Form on the standard toolbar.
Enable a custom task pane that is linked to the form
Note Linking creates an absolute path to the custom task pane. Make sure the location of your custom task pane is available to all of the users who will fill out the form.
- In design mode, click Form Options on the Tools menu, and then click the Advanced tab.
- Select the Enable custom task pane check box.
- In the Task pane name box, type the name that you want to appear at the top of the custom task pane.
- In the Task Pane Location box, type the absolute path for the location of the task pane (.html) file.
- To test the custom task pane, click Preview Form on the standard toolbar.
- In design mode, click Form Options on the Tools menu, and then click the Advanced tab.
- Clear the Enable custom task pane check box.