When you are working in a diagram module or a Report Design file, the Format menu is available. When you are working in a Form Design file, the Layout menu is available. The Format menu provides many commands associated with the layout of diagram and report objects. The Layout menu is very similar, providing many commands associated with the layout and testing of controls in Form Design files. Controls are simply the objects that display data, graphic images, and text labels.

Many of the commands on the Format and Layout menus are also available on the Layout toolbar. You can use this toolbar to position and align diagram and report objects as well as form controls.

To quickly show and hide the Layout toolbar, right-click in the toolbar area and select Layout. Repeating this step switches between showing and hiding the toolbar.

Many formatting commands are available only when multiple objects are selected. The last object selected is highlighted with solid blue selection handles. All previously selected objects are highlighted with hollow blue selection handles. The solid blue selection handles indicate the dominant object. All changes made to the dominant object are made to all other selected objects of the same type. For example, if three objects are selected when a Make Same Size command is selected from the Format or Layout menu, the size of all three objects is made to match that of the dominant object.

The following table lists the commands on the Format and Layout menus. It also shows the buttons in the Layout toolbar as they appear when they are available for selection.