You can create and manage style sheets and styles to provide
consistent formatting within a single form or across multiple forms.
For example, you can control the look of caption and field value
text, the appearance of object borders and background colors, as
well as the size and style of radio buttons and check box objects.
You use the Style Catalog to manage styles sheets, and to edit
and apply styles to objects in a form design. The Style Catalog
lists the various style sheets available with a form and the styles
included with each style sheet. The Style Catalog organizes the
style sheets into different panels, one for each style sheet. The
first panel is for the internal style sheet, which is embedded within
the form. Below the internal style sheet panel are panels for each
external style sheet (Designer Style Sheet.xfs) that you add to
the Style Catalog. Each panel bar shows the name of the style sheet.
If you hover the mouse over the panel bar, the location of the style
sheet is displayed in a tooltip. Menus are also available on each
panel bar and a context menu is available with each listed style.
Additional commands are available on the Style Catalog menu.
An internal style sheet is automatically associated with each
new form you create. The internal style sheet is useful when you
are creating a single form and you want the style sheet and styles
embedded in the form for easy editing. However, if you are creating
more than one form design, you can create multiple external style
sheets in Designer, and add them to any number of form designs.
You can extract the styles from the internal style sheet to a
new external style sheet for use in other forms. Alternatively,
you can add the styles in various external style sheets to the internal
style sheet by embedding the external style sheets within the form
design.
Also, using options in the Form Properties and Options dialog
boxes, you can specify default fonts for captions and values in
new or existing forms to quickly change the fonts for all form objects.
To sort the style sheets in the Style Catalog
The Style Catalog organizes style sheets into different
panels, one for each style sheet. The first panel is for the internal
style sheet. Below the internal style sheet panel are panels for
each Designer Style Sheet file (XFS) file that you add to the Style
Catalog.
By default, Designer arranges the style sheets in the order they
are added to the Style Catalog. You can resort the external style
sheet files list in the Style Catalog by name or by type of style
sheet.
On the Style Catalog palette menu, point to Sort, and
then perform one of the following actions:
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To sort
the list of style sheets by name, click Name.
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To sort the list of style sheets by type, click Type.
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To unsort the list of style sheets, click Unsort.
To select a default style sheet for new forms
You can select an Designer Style Sheet (XFS) file for ne
w forms. When you create a new form, the selected XFS file appears
in the Style Catalog ready for use.
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Click Tools > Options.
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Select the Formatting panel.
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Select Use Style Sheet.
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Click the browse button, and select the Designer Style Sheet
(XFS) file to use.
To add a style sheet to a form
You can add one or more Designer Style Sheet (XFS) files
to a form. After you add a new style sheet, the Style Catalog displays
a new panel listing the styles that are available for use in the
form.
You can add the styles in the XFS files listed in the Styles
catalog to the internal style sheet, by embedding the styles in
the form. See
To embed a style sheet
.
You can hover the mouse over the panel toggle bar, to display
the location of the style sheet.
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Select Windows > Style Catalog.
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On the Style Catalog palette menu, click Add style sheet.
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In the Open dialog box, navigate to and select the Designer
Style Sheet (XFS) file to use.
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Click Open.
To create a new style sheet
When you create a new style sheet, Designer opens a blank
Designer Style Sheet (XFS) file in which to create new styles. Designer
displays style sheets using a different background color than forms
to distinguish them. In the Hierarchy palette, the top-level subform
is named Style sheet.
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Click the Style Catalog menu, and select New Style Sheet.
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Name and save the style sheet file.
To embed a style sheet
You can embed the styles from any number of Designer Style
Sheet file (XFS) files within a form design, for ease of editing.
When you select the Embed Style Sheets command, Designer adds
the styles from all of the external style sheet panels in the Style
Catalog to the internal style sheet panel. Any references from form
objects or default styles are reset to the new internal styles and
the references to the external style sheets are removed from the
form.
The Embed Style Sheets command is available when the Style Catalog
contains one or more external style sheets.
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Click the Style Catalog menu.
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Select Embed Style Sheets.
To extract styles to a new style sheet
You can extract the styles from the internal style sheet
to a new Designer Style Sheet file (XFS). You can also replace the
internal style sheet with a reference to the new external style
sheet, when needed.
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Click the menu on the Internal style sheet panel.
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Select Extract Styles To A New Style Sheet.
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In the File Name box, enter a name for the new style sheet
file.
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(Optional) Select Replace Internal Style Sheet With Reference
To The New External Style Sheet.
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Click Save.
To remove a style sheet
You can remove an external Designer Style Sheet file (XFS)
from the Style Catalog at any time.
The Style Catalog organizes the style sheets that are available
with a form into different panels. The first panel is for the internal
style sheet. You cannot remove the internal style sheet. Below the
internal style sheet panel are panels for each Designer Style Sheet
file (XFS) referenced by the form.
-
Click the menu on the panel of the external style
sheet you want to remove.
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Click Remove Style Sheet.
To replace a style sheet
You can replace any Designer Style Sheet file (XFS) in
the Style Catalog at any time. The Style Catalog organizes the style
sheets that are available with a form into different panels. The
first panel is for the internal style sheet. You cannot replace
the internal style sheet. Below the internal style sheet panel are
panels for each Designer Style Sheet file (XFS) referenced by the
form.
Note:
If the style names are the same in two different style sheets,
when you replace the one style sheet with the other, the objects
in the form are automatically updated with the style properties
from the replacement style sheet.
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Click the menu on the panel of the external style
sheet you want to replace.
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Click Replace Style Sheet.
To edit a style sheet file
You can edit the styles in an external Designer Style Sheet
file (XFS). You do not need to add a style sheet file to the Style
Catalog to edit it.
-
To open a style sheet for editing, do one of the following
actions:
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If the style sheet file is in the Style Catalog,
click the menu on the style sheet panel you want to edit, and then
click Edit Style Sheet. Designer opens the style sheet file.
-
If the style sheet is not in the Style Catalog, click File
> Open to select and open the file in Designer. Designer adds
the styles to the Internal Style Sheet panel.
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In the Style Catalog, right-click the style to edit, and
select Edit Style.
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In the Style Editor, change formatting options as needed.
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Save a close the style sheet file.
Create a new style from an object
You can create a new style from an object in an external
Designer Style Sheet file (XFS).
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Click the menu on the external style sheet panel you
want to use to create the new style.
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Select Edit Style Sheet.
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On the Design View tab, right-click the object to use to
create the new style, point to Styles, and then click Create New
Style From Object.
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In the Style Editor, name the style and select formatting
options as needed.
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Click OK.
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Save changes and close style sheet file.
Creating a new style for an object type
You can create new styles in the internal style sheet of
a form design, or in an external Designer Style Sheet file (XFS)
file.
When creating a style for an object with caption, value, or border
formatting, you can select an existing style of the same object
type or of the Common Style type from which the new style can inherit
the properties specified in the style sheet.
After you create the new style, it appears in the Style Catalog.
To create a new style in the internal style sheet
You create a new style for the internal style sheet within
the current form design.
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Click the menu on the internal style sheet panel.
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Select Create New Style. The Style Editor dialog box is displayed.
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Select the General panel.
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In the Style Name box, type a name for the style.
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In the Type list, select the object type you want to create
a style for.
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Select formatting options as needed, and then click OK.
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Save changes and close the style sheet file.
To create a new style in an external style sheet file
To create a new style in an external Designer Style Sheet
file (XFS), open the style sheet file in Designer and create styles
in that file.
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Click the menu on the external style sheet panel to which
you want to add a style.
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Select Edit Style Sheet.
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In the Style Catalog, right-click the style to edit, and
select Create New Style. The Style Editor dialog box is displayed.
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Select the General panel.
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In the Style Name box, type a name for the style.
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In the Type list, select the object type you want to create
a style for.
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Select formatting options as needed, and then click OK.
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Save changes and close the style sheet file.
Creating a common style
A common style is a generic style type, which can be referenced
by any object type. As a result, you can define a single common
style with properties, which can be inherited by all other object
types. By default, a common style defines caption text formatting,
value text formatting, and border properties. You can choose to define
only text formatting properties or only border properties.
To create a common style in the internal style sheet
You create a common style for the internal style sheet
within the current form design.
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Click the menu on the internal style sheet panel.
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Select Create New Style. The Style Editor dialog box is displayed.
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Select the General panel.
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In the Style Name box, type a name for the style.
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In the Type list, select Common Style.
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Select formatting options as needed, and then click OK.
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Save changes and close style sheet file.
To create a common style in an external style sheet file
To create a common style in an external Designer Style
Sheet file (XFS), open the style sheet file in Designer and create
the common style in that file.
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Click the menu on the external style sheet panel in which
you want to create a common style.
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Select Edit Style Sheet.
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Click the menu on the internal style sheet panel.
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Select Create New Style. The Style Editor dialog box is displayed.
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Select the General panel.
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In the Style Name box, type a name for the style.
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In the Type list, select Common Style.
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Select formatting options as needed, and then click OK.
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Save changes and close the style sheet file.
To apply a style to an object
The Style Catalog lists the styles that are available with
each style sheet. Each style in a style sheet is associated with
a particular object type. You can apply a style to the same object
type. For example, you can apply a Text Field style to a Text Field
object. If the style you want to apply is not compatible with the selected
object, the Apply Style command is unavailable.
You can also create common styles with properties that you can
apply to all object types. See
Creating a common style
.
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On the Design View tab, select the object type you
want to apply a style to.
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In the Style Catalog, right click the style you want to apply.
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Click Apply Style.
To remove a style from an object
You can remove a style directly from an object on the Design
View tab.
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On the Design View tab, select the object you want to
remove a style from.
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Right-click, and select Styles > Remove Style.
Editing a style
You can edit styles in the internal style sheet of a form
design, or in an external style sheet that references an Designer
Style Sheet file (XFS). You edit the styles in an internal style
sheet in the current form design. You edit the styles in an external
style sheet, by opening the XFS style sheet in Designer. When you
edit a style sheet file in Designer, the page background (in the
Design view) is colored to differentiate it from the white background
used for form designs.
With the internal style sheet, changes are immediately applied
to all objects that use that style. With external style sheet files,
the chances are applies when you save the form.
To edit a style in the internal style sheet
-
In the Style Catalog, expand the internal style
sheet panel.
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Right click the style you want to edit, and select Edit Style.
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In the Style Editor, select options as needed, and click
OK.
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Saves the changes.
To edit a style in an external style sheet file
-
To open the style sheet file for editing, do one
of the following actions:
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If the style sheet file
is in the Style Catalog, click the menu on the external style sheet
panel to edit, and then click Edit Style Sheet. Designer opens the style
sheet file.
-
If the style sheet is not in the Style Catalog, click File
> Open to select and open the style sheet file in Designer.
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In the Internal Style Sheet panel, right click the style
you want to edit, and click Edit Style.
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In the Style Editor, select formatting options as needed,
and click OK.
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Save the changes.
Deleting a style form a style sheet
You can delete a style from the internal style sheet of
a form design, or from an external style sheet that references an
Designer Style Sheet file (XFS). You delete styles directly from
the internal style sheet of a form design. You delete the styles from
an external style sheet, by opening the XFS style sheet in Designer.
To delete a style from the internal style sheet
-
In the Style Catalog, expand the internal style
sheet panel.
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Right click the style you want to delete, and select Delete
Style.
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Click Yes to confirm that you want to delete the style.
To delete a style from an external style sheet
-
In the Style Catalog, click the menu on the external
style sheet panel.
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Select Edit Style Sheet. Designer opens the style sheet file,
temporarily removes the associated panel from the Style Catalog,
and adds the styles to the internal style sheet panel.
-
In the internal style panel, right click the style you want
to delete., and click Delete Style.
-
Save the changes and close the style sheet file. Designer
moves the remaining styles from the internal style sheet panel back
to the external style sheet panel.
To set a default style for new objects
You can select default styles for new objects from any
style sheet in the Style Catalog. You can select a default style
for most objects in the Object Library. The default styles you select
for an object type are shown in the Style Catalog in bold italic
text.
When the Apply Default Styles To New Forms option is selected
and you add a new object to a form, Designer automatically applies
the default styles for that object type to the new object.
-
In the Style Catalog, right click the object style
you want to set as a default.
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Click Set As Default Style.
To apply default styles to new objects
Before you can apply default styles to new objects, select
a default style for each object type you add to your form design.
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Click the Style Catalog menu.
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Select Apply Default Styles To New Objects.
To edit default styles for new objects
You can change or clear the default styles for new objects.
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Click the Style Catalog menu.
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Select Edit Default Styles Settings.
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Click the list next to the objects you want and do one of
the following actions:
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To clear the default style,
select None.
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To change the default style, select a substitute style.
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