Adding and changing field labels

Creating and managing layouts and reports > Adding fields to a layout > 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, do one of the following:


To add a label	Do this
When you place a field on a layout using the Field Picker dialog box	In the Drag Options area of the Field Picker dialog box, for Labels, choose an option. See Defining database fields.
When you place a field on a layout using the Field tool	After you place a field using the Field tool, select the field and click Create label in the Specify Field dialog box. Click OK. The field name appears as the field label. See Placing and removing fields on a layout. See Adding text to a layout.
For a field that already exists on a layout	Click the Text tool in the status toolbar, click where you want the label to appear, then type text for the label.

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 Using tools to precisely position objects.

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, do one of the following:


To add placeholder text	Do this
When you place a field on a layout using the Field Picker dialog box	In the Drag Options area of the Field Picker dialog box, for Labels, click . See Defining database fields. By default, the placeholder text is the same as the field name.
For a field that already exists 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 Inspector

in the layout bar, then click the Data

tab.

3. In the Field area, for Placeholder text, do any of the following.


To	Do this
Display the result of a calculation in the field	Click , specify a calculation that will display the placeholder text, then click OK.
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

•If you include a field label when you place a field and you then rename the field in the Field Picker or Manage Database dialog box, 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.

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