Introduction to controls

Text box

The most commonly used control on a form. Users can enter any type of unformatted text into a text box, such as sentences, names, numbers, dates, and times. Text boxes cannot contain formatted text.

Rich text box

A control that can contain formatted text, including bold and italic text, and a variety of fonts, font sizes, and font colors. In addition, users can insert images, lists, and tables into a rich text box.

Drop-down list box

A control that presents users with a list of choices in a box. To select an item from the list, users click an arrow to open the list of choices. The choices can come from a list that you create manually, from values in the form's data source, or from values that come from a data connection to an XML document, database, Web service, or SharePoint library or list.

Combo box

A control that presents users with a list of choices in a box from which users select the appropriate item or type their own. The choices can come from a list that you create manually, from values in the form's data source, or from values that come from a data connection to an XML document, database, Web service, or SharePoint library or list.

List box

A control that presents users with a list of choices in a box from which users select the appropriate item. The choices can come from a list that you create manually, from values in the form's data source, or from values that come from a data connection to an XML document, database, Web service, or SharePoint library or list.

Date picker

A control that contains a box where users can type dates and a calendar button that allows users to select a date.

Check box

A control that allows users to set yes/no or true/false values by adding or removing a check mark from a small square box.

Option button

A control that lets users select from a set of mutually exclusive choices. When one option button in a group is selected, the other option buttons are cleared. A group of option buttons is bound to one field in the data source, and each option button saves a different value in that field.

Button

A control that can be used to submit a form or query a database, among other things. You can also associate a button with rules or custom code that runs when users click the button.

Section

A control that is a container for other controls. Sections can include any of the controls listed in the Controls task pane, including other sections.

Optional section

A control that is a container for other controls and is useful for including extra information that is not necessary for all users to fill out. When filling out a form that includes an optional section, users can choose whether to include the optional section on the form.

Repeating section

A control that is a container for other controls and is useful for presenting record-based data, such as employee database records. When filling out the form that includes a repeating section, users can add additional occurrences of the repeating section.

Repeating table

A control that displays repeating information in a tabular structure. Each item appears in a new row in the repeating table. When filling out a form, users can add or delete rows in a repeating table as necessary. Repeating tables can contain other controls.

Horizontal repeating table

A control that displays repeating information in a tabular structure. Each item appears in a new column in the repeating table. When filling out a form, users can add or delete columns in a repeating table as necessary. Horizontal repeating tables can contain other controls.

Master/detail

A control that is actually a set of repeating controls that are directly related to one another. The master control is always a repeating table, and the detail control can be either a repeating table or a repeating section. Master/detail controls help users work more efficiently with large amounts of data. For example, if your form template displays employee database records, you can specify that only a subset of information about each employee should appear in the master control. Then, when a user selects a record (row) in the master control, the detail control can display more detailed information about the employee.

Bulleted list

A control that allows users to add or delete bulleted list items in the form as necessary. Bulleted list controls are a good way to include simple text that repeats, such as a list of action items in a meeting agenda form template.

Numbered list

A control that allows users to add or delete numbered list items in a form as necessary. Numbered list controls are a good way to include simple text that repeats and indicates some sort of order, such as a list of agenda items in a meeting agenda form template.

Plain list

A control that allows users to add or delete list items in a form as necessary. Plain list controls are a good way to include simple text that repeats, such as a list of attendee names in a meeting request form template.

Multiple-selection list box

A control that presents the user with a list of choices that appear as a scrollable list of check boxes. Users can select as many check boxes as necessary, and may even be able to add custom entries, depending on how the form template is designed.

File attachment

A control that allows users to attach files to their forms. Each file attachment control permits one file to be attached, and you can restrict the file type, if necessary. If your users want to attach multiple files, you can insert the file attachment control inside a repeating control.

Picture

A control that can be included on a form template as a static element, such as a title or a background, or can allow users to insert a picture as part of the form. Picture controls can store the image on the form itself or store an address (URL) that points to the saved location of the picture.

Ink picture

A control that allows users with a Tablet PC to add ink drawings to their forms, either within the control itself or on top of a background picture.

Hyperlink

A control that can be used to link to a URL. For example, a form template that shows information about a list of products can include hyperlinks to product information Web pages. Hyperlink controls can point to any Web server on either an intranet or the Internet.

Expression box

A read-only text control. You can use expression boxes to display read-only text, display the value of another control on the form, or create formulas based on XPath expressions.

Vertical label

A read-only text label that appears at a 90-degree angle on your form template. Vertical labels are often used as column headings in repeating tables.

Scrolling region

A control that contains other controls, retains a fixed size, and includes scroll bars so that users can scroll to see information that is out of view. Scrolling regions are particularly useful when a section of a form contains a lot of data, and users do not need to see it all at once.

Horizontal region

A control that contains other controls and that can be used to place other controls side-by-side on a form template.

Choice group

A control that contains two or more choice sections that in turn contain other controls. Each choice section in a choice group serves as a single option in a set of mutually exclusive choices. When filling out a form, users can replace the default choice section with a different choice section. For example, on a job application form template, you can use a choice group to allow users to enter either a home phone number or a work phone number for their references.

Repeating choice group

A control that displays two or more choice sections in a repeating structure. When filling out a form, users can add, delete, or replace additional repeating choice groups, as necessary. For example, on an employee information form template, you can use a repeating choice group to let users enter multiple emergency contacts. For each contact, the user can replace home address information with work address information.

Choice section

A control that contains other controls and that should always appear inside choice groups or repeating choice groups. Choice sections are useful when you need to add more choices to an existing choice group. If you insert a choice section anywhere other than in a choice group, InfoPath automatically inserts the choice section inside a new choice group.

Repeating recursive section

A control that contains other controls and can be inserted within itself. You can use repeating recursive sections to create hierarchical content, such as an outline.

Template part

A customized set of controls that includes layout, property settings, and some aspects of control behavior, which can be saved for reuse in multiple form templates. After creating a template part, you use the Add Custom Control Wizard to import the template part into design mode so that you can use it in your form template.

ActiveX control

A control that isn't included in InfoPath but that can be added to the Controls task pane. You can choose from existing ActiveX controls that are registered on your computer, or you can use custom controls that you develop to meet your specific business needs. For example, if you are developing form templates for use in a financial setting, you can develop an ActiveX control that allows stock ticker information to be displayed on a form template. After creating or locating an ActiveX control, you use the Add Custom Control Wizard to import the control into design mode so that you can use it in your form template.