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Adding fields to a layout

After you create a layout, you can place new fields on it or remove fields you don't want displayed. You can place a field anywhere on any layout, as many times as you want. However, you can only place fields that you've already defined. For more information, see Defining database fields.

You get different results by placing the same field in different locations on the layout. For example:

•	Add the same summary field to a subsummary part to calculate totals for each group of sorted records, and to a grand summary part to get totals for all the records in the database.

•	Add a field to the header part or footer part to repeat data from the first record or the last record on the page as a header or footer. (For example, add a Last Name field to the header in a directory.)

•	Add the same related field directly on a layout to see the field's value in the first related record, or inside a portal to see values from more than one related record.

If you are working with a relational database, you can display fields from related tables on a layout. You can place related fields directly on a layout or in a portal. For information on whether you should place related fields directly on a layout or in a portal, see Deciding where to place related fields.

Fields on a layout are objects, which you can select, move, resize, and reshape. In Layout mode, each field displays its field name, formatted with its attributes for font, size, style, alignment, line spacing, and color.

To make data entry easier and more consistent, you can set up value lists. Fields display data as drop-down lists, pop-up menus, checkbox sets, and radio button sets.

For more information, see Setting up a field to display a pop-up menu, checkbox set, or other control. For more information about editing and formatting field objects, see Selecting and working with objects on a layout and Formatting and setting up field objects in Layout mode.