Create a template

[Ellen]

I am trying to figure out how to create a template so I can reuse it over and
over for each view, changing only specific sections. I have been doing a cut
'n paste, but that has 2 issues.. First, if I change anything in that
part, I have to change it across the board. Second, the cut 'n paste often
results in getting a "catastrophic" error.

Ideally, I'd have a left hand column of options that would repeat across
pages. I am using buttons but I can't get buttons to repeat.

HELP!

 

[Clay Fox]

Hi Ellen.

Typically you would create your navigation buttons on one view.

Then you can copy them to other views but they are copies. You have to then
update the copies to make them specific to each page. Typically this does
save time with the formatting and often some of the rules and formatting.

Otherwise have a master navigation or menu view and then have the users
return to this view each time to move somewhere else.

Unfortunately, there is no persistent navigation without building a toolbar
or taskpane module.

 

[Gavin McKay]

Hi Ellen,

You may also be able to create "Template Parts" and use those instead. At
least then you could manage it centrally and just drag the template part onto
each page instead. Might be better than copy-and-paste, but I haven't really
used them extensively so don't know if it will help or not.

To create a Template Part:
1. Select File Menu, Design a Form Template
2. In the "Design a new:" area select "Template Part"
3. Select an item to base your template part on
4. Add content to your part and save it

To use a Template Part in another form template:
1. Design your template
2. On the "Controls" area down the bottom click "Add or Remove Custom
Controls..."
3. Select "Add" and complate the wizard

You should now have a new entry in the "Custom" area that you can
drag-and-drop to your template.

HTH

Gavin.

 

[Ellen]

Gavin,
Thanks for your reply. I'm not sure where to find "Template Parts". I
have InfoPath 2003 and I don't see that as an option. Am I missing
something?? It just seems crazy that you can't have a menu that you don't
have to update in every view! I'm sitting here looking at the site that
hosts this forum and they have a left menu that never changes.
I can't force users to go back to another view to be able to navigate -
that's definitely not so user-friendly.
If I could save a button as a field at least that would help. If I copy a
button from one screen to another and change it, it doesn't change it
elsewhere.

Frustrated but I'll keep trying... Eleln

 

[Gavin McKay]

Hi Ellen,

Very sorry, that is an InfoPath 2007 feature and I didn't mention that when
I replied before

Depending on how many views you need, you could create several sections that
hide and display within the same view using a next/previous button approach.
That way you could have the same menu options on the left-hand side and have
the right-hand side content hide/show.

Don't know how this will work out here but something like:

[Menu] [Section 1]
[Section 2] hidden
[Section 3] hidden

so when they click Section 1 "next" (or whatever):

[Menu] [Section 1] hidden
[Section 2]
[Section 3] hidden

with Section 1 hidden Section 2 should appear at the top. Maybe

This could make your form pretty big quite quickly though, depending on how
complex the form is. I've made a similar form (InfoPath 2007 however) that
showed/hid four sections and that seemed to work OK. Might be different for
InfoPath 2003 however.

Gavin.