The following are some of the things you can do when filling out InfoPath forms (.xml files):

• Format text you enter, much like you would in a word processor.
• Insert tables and lists that have the exact amount of rows or entries you want.
• Add optional sections.
• Immediately review data that may contain errors.
• Save forms to your computer and work offline.

Form templates (.xsn files) define the layout and functionality of a form, including the XML Schema that determines the structure for the data when the form is filled out by a user. Whenever a user fills out a form, the form references the form template it is based on, regardless of whether it is installed on the user's local computer or is stored on a networked location, such as a company's intranet or a server running Windows SharePoint Services. When users fill out forms based on form templates that are stored on a network, they must access the forms through a Uniform Resource Locator (URL). This URL address is displayed at the bottom of the user's workspace.

Form templates installed on the user's local computer are called custom installed forms. By default, custom installed form templates are trusted, which means that they have greater access and permissions to files and settings located on the user's computer. These form templates display a Uniform Resource Name (URN) address at the bottom of the InfoPath workspace.

The following list includes some of the things you can define when designing a form template:

• The form's structure.
• The types of controls on a form.
• The form's data validation rules.
• The views that define the layout of data.
• The default content of the form and what users can and cannot modify when filling it out.

Note  All form templates are actually comprised of several individual form files. These files ensure that when users fill out a form based on a form template, it opens, displays, and functions properly. When designing a form, you can work with the form template's individual form files. For example, by extracting form files, you can manually make changes to the form definition (.xsf) file.