About form layout

Microsoft Office InfoPath

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About form layout

In Microsoft Office InfoPath 2003, a form's visual structure or layout is created using layout tables. Once you have defined your form's layout, you can type text into it, such as a title, insert fields and controls, and add sections and tables that your users can interact with.

In addition to layout tables, you can add optional sections and repeating sections to your form. These containers allow users to add or remove additional areas of information within the form when filling it out. Just like layout tables, you can place fields, controls, and even other layout tables, sections, or repeating tables into these containers.

Optional sections don't appear in, and aren't saved with, the form unless a user chooses to add them. For example, while all employees in a company might use a goal setting section in their Performance Review form, only managers might choose to add an optional section about leadership goals.

Repeating sections let users expand the contents of a form when it is filled out, displaying only the necessary number of entries in a series. For example, the itemized expenses in an Expense Report form can be formatted as a repeating table. This allows the user filling out the form to insert additional table rows for the appropriate number of items.

The Layout task pane provides a collection of drag-and-drop layout tables and sections that you can place onto a blank form. If none of the provided layout tables and sections meet your needs, you can insert a custom table with the exact number of rows and columns you want. Layout tables can be formatted and modified like tables in other Microsoft Office programs. Use the Table menu to format a selected table, or right-click a table to set its properties.

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