Extra auto layout tasks:

MaxLength synchronisation
The auto layout process can set the MaxLength property to the value of your database field. E.g. a TextBox is bound to a database field like "ProductName" with a length of 50. The auto layout process sets the MaxLength property to 50 too.

Handy when such a value changes in the database.
Without effort and mistakes this value is synchronised for you!

To avoid MaxLength mistakes you can even apply this synchronisation process for all your forms at once! See form layout settings (application wide actions).
SemanticsGroups
Each control has a SemanticsGroup property. When a control belongs to the same group as another control, because they share the same semantics, they share the same SemanticsGroup. E.g. CityLabel and CityTextBox share SemanticsGroup "City".

An example of a SemanticsGroup called "Address":


Actions for grouping purposes are simplified, such as auto enabling a group of controls. In that kind of situations you can point to the SemanticsGroup instead of all its controls separately. You do not need a separate Panel to group controls!

The auto layout process sets all the SemanticsGroups for you. You can override these for custom situations. Because we have knowledge about your naming convention, the variable text part is used as the SemanticsGroup.

Prompts
Each control has a Prompt property. E.g. the prompt of a CityTextBox is the CityLabel. The use of prompts is handy when you want to create professional feedback messages. The required entry message makes use of this.
E.g. with a message like: "City is a required entry.".

An example of using prompts with a required entry:



For a runtime result like above you only have to set the required entry property of the NameTextBox to "yes". All the rest is done for you. Everything can be overruled with your own settings. Such as skipping the message or using another message with a different look and feel.

It is quite a lot of work to connect each control to a prompt. That's why the auto layout process takes care of this. Automatically all Prompt properties are set. Of course you can set your own Prompt property and override the one found by the auto layout process.