InfoPath with SharePoint 2010 : Enhancing the User Experience - Configure Dynamic Sections

1. Compact Sections of Fields/Controls

When you have sections of similar fields on your form, it is a recommended best practice to use one of the four-column table layouts. To use a four-column table layout in your form or section, select the Tables menu on the Insert ribbon bar and select one of the four-column layouts, as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Selecting a table layout inserts the table into your form or section.

2. Configure Dynamic Sections

Hiding or showing sections is another recommended method to enhance the user experience. Optional or conditional fields should only be shown if needed. Although this can be implemented by using optional section controls, it is more aesthetic to use a check box to control the visibility of the optional section.

To do this, follow these steps:

1.	On your form, add a check box control and a section control, as shown in Figure 2. (Optionally, you may add fields within the section, but that is not necessary to wire up the rule.) The check box will control the visibility of the section. Figure 2. Adding a check box and a section to your form allows you to control the dynamic section.
2.	Select the section on your form and click Manage Rules on the Home ribbon bar. The Rules pane appears.
3.	In the Rules pane, click New and select Formatting, as shown in Figure 3, to add a new visibility rule. Figure 3. Selecting Formatting allows you to create a visibility rule.
4.	Enter a rule name and click None in the Condition section. The Condition dialog appears.
5.	In the Condition dialog, enter the condition such that the value of the check box is not equal to True, as shown in Figure 4, to determine when the section control will be hidden. Click OK. Figure 4. Setting the condition determines when the section control will be hidden.
6.	In the Rules pane, click the Hide This Control check box to set the formatting action of the rule, as shown in Figure 5. Figure 5. Checking Hide This Control configures the formatting action of the rule.
7.	Preview your form to test the rule. Initially, the section is not visible, but if you check the check box, the conditional section appears, as shown in Figure 6. Figure 6. Checking the check box displays the conditional section.