I have few multi-line text boxes in my form. In my default view I have a fixed height set for these text boxes. I have these text boxes set to 'auto' height in the print view - so that when the form is printed all of the text entered in the text boxes gets printed - as opposed to showing scroll bars. This works in preview mode but not in brower.

Does 'Auto' height setting for the textbox control work in the browser-enabled forms?

Is there anyway I can restrict the number of characters user can type in a multi-line text box?

I don't think it does; I've never seen it work. You will have to switch to using a Rich Text Box if you want a text box to auto-grow. But if you put too much text in a Rich Text Box so that the Rich Text Box can possibly span multiple pages, you might have to solve other printing issues whenusing browser-based forms.

To restrict the number of characters, you can use a data validation condition that uses the string-length() function. To chop off text to a certain about of characters, you can use the substring() function.

Hello Mr. Wong-A-Ton,

Your site and help even here is the best!  Thanks!  I used your string-length idea for a form I'm workign on, but I have a few more questions:

If I use this string-length(normalize-space(.)) > 150

versus your idea

string-length(.) > 150

What's the difference?

Also could you give more dtails on the substring() function?  As when I tested the form, I noted that the control (I changed my rich text boxes to text boxes and used the first string-length example) still lets the user type whatever they want (I don't have a "save" button rule yet, just a return to "first page/view" button rule.)  And the red flag around the box only shows if the user pushes "enter".

So, I'd like to have it truncate (or cut off) after my 150 characters are reached in addition to the popup warning.

Also, not to sell your books, but since your work had helped me soooooo much adn I don't code, which cookbooks would be best for me to go as far as possible without coding?

Thanks!