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Content
areas provide anchoring and layout management for all the objects
in a form, including subforms.
It is usually unnecessary to modify the properties of a content
area. However, if you are designing a form that contains subforms
that are set to flow content, becoming familiar with the properties
of content areas will help you to understand the behavior of subforms.
For information about the properties of content areas, see Content area properties in the Content Area tab.
Content areas cannot be selected or manipulated through the Design
View tab of the Layout Editor. If required, you can select, cut,
copy, paste, move, delete, or resize content areas through the Master
Pages tab of the Layout Editor. A rectangle on the master page delimits
the area bounded by a content area.
New forms have a default content area. If required (for example,
when designing a form that contains subforms set to flow content),
you can add additional content areas to the form. All content areas
are displayed in the Hierarchy palette.
Data flow between content areasWhen more
than one content area has been defined, objects flow from one content
area to the next when the form is rendered. You can select a flow direction
for the objects and their data. The flow direction controls when
an object receives the focus relative to the other objects in the
form during a tabbing sequence. It also determines when an object
receives merged data relative to the other objects in the form.
Specifying the flow direction of one content area automatically
sets the flow direction of all other content areas in the form.
When the form is rendered, if an object that merges data expands
so much that it will no longer fit in one content area, the object
spills into the next and subsequent content areas. Similarly, when
you are designing a form, you cannot add more objects to a content
area than will fit within the area bounded by the content area.
As soon as the content area has been filled, the remaining objects overflow
into the next available content area. If another content area is
not available to catch the overflow, the data will not be rendered
properly.
To select a content areaYou
can select a content area using the Hierarchy palette or the Master
Pages tab of the Layout Editor.
 Select a content area by doing one of the following actions: In the Layout Editor, click the Master Pages tab. Click the
blue rectangle that delimits the content area.
In the Hierarchy palette, click the content area.
To rename a content areaTo rename a content area using the Hierarchy
palette, right-click the object and select Rename Object. Type the
new name and press Enter.
To rename a content area using the Object palette, select
the content area. In the Object palette, type a new name for the
content area in the Name box and press Enter. Designer maintains
the occurrence number automatically.
To define the tabbing and data-fill order for the subforms within the content area In
the Object palette, select one of these options from the Flow Direction
list: To set the default tabbing order and data-fill
order starting from the top of the page and moving to the bottom
of the page, select Top To Bottom.
To set the default tabbing order and data-fill order starting
from the top of the page and moving to the right until the last
object on the right edge of the page has been reached, select Western
Text. When the right edge of the page has been reached, continue
the tabbing order and flow direction at the next object down on
the left side of the page.
To set the default tabbing order and data-fill order starting
from the right of the page and moving to the left of the page, select
Right to Left.
Copying, moving, and resizing content areasYou can cut, copy, paste,
delete, resize, or reposition content areas through the Master Pages
tab of the Layout Editor. You can only cut or delete content areas that
you have added to a master page. A form must have at least one content area.
The default content area cannot be deleted.
To cut, copy, paste, or delete a content area In
the Layout Editor, click the Master Pages tab. Right-click the content
area and select the appropriate menu command.
To resize a content area Resize the content area in the Master Pages tab
of the Layout editor using one of these methods: Click
the border of the content area and drag any of the resizing handles
to resize the object.
Select the content area, and then in the Layout palette,
adjust the size settings.
To move a content areaIn
the Master Pages tab of the Layout editor, select the content area.
Move the content area using one of these methods:
Drag the content area to a new location.
Edit the x and y coordinates in the Layout
palette.
Use an arrow key to move the content area slightly in one
direction.
Adding content areasYou
can add a content area using the Insert menu or the Object Library
palette. Content areas can be added to master pages only.
To add a content area using the menu With the master page of the form displayed, select
Insert > Standard > Content Area.
To add a content area using the Object Library palette Do one of the following actions: In the Object Library palette, click the Standard category.
Click the Content Area object and draw the object on the master
page of the form.
From the Standard category of the Object Library palette,
drag a Content Area object onto the master page of the form.
In the Object Library palette, click the Standard category.
Double-click the Content Area object.
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