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# Referencing Overlays Externally

Overlays for SFX forms are always embedded in the file. They cannot be referenced externally. Overlays for XTemplate forms can either be embedded or referenced. To create an external overlay, you simply set the Is External property to Yes and save the overlay to an external file.

The default setting for the Is External property is No. To set it to Yes, your form must be an XTemplate form. If your form is a new form and it was created as an SFX file (i.e., your default for form creation is not set to XTemplate), you will need to save it as an XTemplate file first.

The external overlay file name must begin with a letter, may contain only letters and numbers, and cannot contain spaces. Underbars and hyphens may be used as separators. The overlay can be saved with either an .xcomp or .xml extension. The .xcomp extension is recommended because it distinguishes it from other XML files, but some environments may require the .xml extension. There is no difference in the actual file.

Note:

When you save an XTemplate form as an SFX, any referenced overlays will be embedded in the SFX form and the Is External property will be set to No.

Important:

If you choose to reference an external overlay for an XTemplate form, the overlay remains connected to the external file. Any changes you make in your form will be made in the external file. If you want to make changes to the external overlay in your form but do not want to overwrite the original external file, you will need to embed the overlay. If you still want to reference it, you will need to create a new reference.

To create an external overlay file

1. Click on the Is External value field on the Overlay property page.

2. Click on to display the drop-down list:

3. Select Yes from the list. The Save As dialog will appear:

4. Enter the name of your overlay. Make sure it is alphanumeric (underbars and hyphens are allowed), starts with a letter, and does not contain spaces.

5. Select either the .xcomp or .xml extension as the file type:

- The overlay will be saved as a composition file.

- The path to the file will be placed in the Path field on the Overlay property page:

To embed a referenced overlay

1. Click on the Is External value field on the Overlay property page.

2. Click on to display the drop-down list.

3. Select No from the list. You will no longer see the path to the referenced file and the overlay will be embedded when the file is saved.