Adding and changing field labels

When you place a field on a layout, you can include a field label to identify or describe the field. A field label can be the field name, other text (such as instructions), or the result of a calculation. Field labels can appear in various positions outside the field or as placeholder text within the field. Placeholder text is useful when space is limited, such as on a layout designed for touch devices.

After you've added a field label, you can format it using styles or the formatting bar.

Adding a field label

In Layout mode:

To	Do this
Add a field label when you place a field on a layout using the Fields tab	In the Drag Preferences area of the Fields tab, for Labels, choose an option. See Defining and changing fields in the Fields tab.
Use the field name as a label for a field that’s already on the layout	Double-click the field on the layout and click Create label in the Specify Field dialog box. See Placing and removing fields on a layout.
Type a label for a field that’s already on the layout	Click the Text tool in the status toolbar, click where you want the label to appear, then type text for the label. See Adding text to a layout.

Changing or deleting a field label

Select the label or labels to change. Then:

To	Do this
Edit a field label	Select the text in field label, then type the new label. See Adding text to a layout.
Change the style or appearance of the field label	Use the formatting bar or the Inspector. See Formatting text.
Delete the field label	Press Backspace or Delete.

Tip  To use tools to position labels on the layout, see Positioning objects on a layout.

Adding and changing placeholder text in a field

Placeholder text displays within a field in Browse mode (and optionally in Find mode) until you begin typing in the field. You can also add placeholder text to container fields and any fields formatted as edit boxes, drop-down lists, drop-down calendars, or pop-up menus.

In Layout mode:

To add placeholder text	Do this
When you place a field on a layout using the Fields tab	In the Drag Preferences area of the Fields tab, for Labels, click . See Defining and changing fields. By default, the placeholder text is the same as the field name.
For a field that’s already on a layout	See "To add or change placeholder text," below.

To add or change placeholder text:

1. In Layout mode, select the field (not the label) on the layout.

2. Click in the status toolbar, then click the Data tab in the Inspector.

3. In the Field area, for Placeholder text (when field is empty):

To	Do this
Display the result of a calculation in the field	Click , then specify a calculation that will display the placeholder text.
Display placeholder text in Find mode	Select Show placeholder in Find mode.
Add or edit placeholder text	Select the text, then make your changes.
Delete the placeholder text	Select the text, then press Backspace or Delete.

4. Press Enter or Tab or click outside the Inspector to apply the changes.

Notes 

• In the Drag Preferences area of the Fields tab, the Labels preferences only affect dragging fields and not double-clicking fields.

• If you include a field label when you place a field and you then rename the field, in most cases, the field label changes to match the new field name on each layout where the field label appears.

• Placeholder text does not display in Table View or when viewing records in Preview mode.

• Placeholder text doesn’t print in Preview mode, and it doesn’t print when you save records as a PDF file. However, you can have placeholder text print when you print or save blank records as a PDF file. See Printing records and Saving and sending records as a PDF file.

• To display a badge in Layout mode that identifies fields that have placeholder text , choose View menu > Show > Placeholder Text.