Layering Controls

How to:

By default, all the controls on a form are placed on the same layer (the Default layer). If you are designing complicated forms with many controls, you can take advantage of the Form Editor's layering ability.

Layering works like this: you can create multiple layers and then assign different controls on the form to different layers. You can then hide a layer, thus hiding all the controls on that layer until you make it visible again. You can also lock a layer, thus ensuring that all controls on the layer cannot be changed.

Note: Layering is a form editing feature only! You cannot make layers visible and invisible dynamically during run time.

Layers Sheet dialog box

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Procedure: How to Create a Layer
  1. In the Form menu, click Edit layers or click the Edit layers Edit Layers button button on the Layout toolbar to open the Layers Sheet dialog box.
  2. Click Add.
  3. If you wish, rename your layer by typing over the name in the Name box.
  4. Click OK.

The new layer is added on top of the existing layers.
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Procedure: How to Make a Layer Active

To make a layer active so that all new controls will be placed on this layer:

  1. In the Form menu, click Edit layers or click the Edit layers Edit Layers button button on the Layout toolbar to open the Layers Sheet dialog box.
  2. Select the layer you want to make active.
  3. Click Select.
  4. Click OK.
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Procedure: How to Hide or Unhide a Layer
  1. In the Form menu, click Edit layers or click the Edit layers Edit Layers button button on the Layout toolbar to open the Layers Sheet dialog box.
  2. Select the layer you want to hide or unhide.
  3. Select or clear the Hide box.
  4. Click OK.
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Procedure: How to Lock or Unlock a Layer
  1. In the Form menu, click Edit layers or click the Edit layers Edit Layers button button on the Layout toolbar to open the Layers Sheet dialog box.
  2. Select the layer you want to lock or unlock.
  3. Select or clear the Lock box.
  4. Click OK.
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Procedure: How to Change the Order of the Layers
  1. In the Form menu, click Edit layers or click the Edit layers Edit Layers button button on the Layout toolbar to open the Layers Sheet dialog box.
  2. Select the layer you want to move.
  3. Click the Up or Down button.
  4. Click OK.
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Procedure: How to Move an Existing Control to Another Layer
  1. Select the control.
  2. In the property sheet, select the Layers property.
  3. Select the name of the layer you want the control to be on.
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Procedure: How to Rename a Layer
  1. In the Form menu, click Edit layers or click the Edit layers Edit Layers button button on the Layout toolbar to open the Layers Sheet dialog box.
  2. Select the layer you want to rename.
  3. Type a new name in the Name box.
  4. Click OK.
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Procedure: How to Delete a Layer
  1. In the Form menu, click Edit layers or click the Edit layers Edit Layers button button on the Layout toolbar to open the Layers Sheet dialog box.
  2. Select the layer you want to delete.
  3. Click Delete.
  4. Click OK.

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