Newbie Questions

Re: Difference between sections & groups

rexeast — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 21:07:09 GMT

Thanks Jimmy! That was very helpful.

Re: Difference between sections & groups

Jimmy — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 14:02:50 GMT

1. Group is a term for a node in the data source tree structure that can contain other elements. A section is a form control that is bound to a node in your data source and serves to determine the context of controls inside of it. Sections can also be conditionally hidden or colored based on changing conditions. Sections are most often bound to groups, but they can be bound to any type of node.

2. I don't believe there's a way to relocate a whole bunch of nodes at once. You can move them to a new location one at a time by right-clicking them in the data source taskpane and selecting Move....

3. Layout tables are purely for layout and presentation and have no bearing on the data in your form.

Difference between sections & groups

rexeast — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 07:32:13 GMT

I am a developer investigating whether InfoPath 2010 suits my needs for making fairly straightforward forms like resumes. It would have some mandatory parts (e.g. basic info), some optional parts (e.g. personal interests), and some repeating parts (e.g. work experience). I'm trying to figure out the basic concepts of how groups, sections, controls, and tables are all related. I read Microsoft's online documentation but I couldn't find the distinctions spelled out explicitly. Here are my questions:

What is the difference between a section and a group? If I want to create a new part for my resume form, like "Work experience", which one would I use?
How do I move a table to a new section/group? I created a new form, and then added a table with a bunch of controls in it. Then I learned I should probably put it in a section/group. But even when I created a new section and pasted the table into it, the fields themselves still belonged to the "myFields" root-level group, rather than my new group.
Are tables used only for layout/presentation? Or would the choice to use a table affect the code I write that interacts with my form?

Thanks!