Chapter 28. Working with Subforms

Most forms have groups of related items organized into sections to facilitate the form recipient completing the document. Grouping the related items visually is a good start. Physically creating subforms during the design process allows you to control many additional features.

Subforms are more than groups. In Designer groups are only used to format and align objects. Subforms are organizational containers that are useful for both static and dynamic forms. Subforms are used to create flowing dynamic layouts, control the tab sequence, and are used for data binding. Subforms properties specify if a page break is allowed within the subform area, which of the master pages content areas it is to be placed in, defining header and footer areas around the subform, and if the subform repeats, just to name a few.

Subforms are what make dynamic forms that grow and shrink possible in Designer. They are the containers that keep the objects inside them positioned correctly as the form adjusts. Subforms can be hidden until needed by the form recipient, creating a truly customized interactive experience for the user.

As we discussed in the previous Designer chapters, taking the time to name objects and organize them is vital to working efficiently in Designer. Each object must have a logical name and related objects are organized ...

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