EPLAN Forms Reference Guide — Part 1: Report Structure

EPLAN Electric P8 — Form Layout Areas & Form Types Reference

Software: EPLAN Electric P8 Topic: Form layout insert menu — area types, functions, and complete form type reference .f00–.f34 Level: Beginner to Intermediate

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Overview

When building or editing a form in EPLAN P8, the Insert menu provides all the structural building blocks that define how a report page is laid out and how data flows through it. Understanding each area type — and knowing which form type to assign it to — is the foundation of professional form design in EPLAN.

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The Insert Menu — Form Layout Elements

Accessed via: Insert → Forms inside the Form Editor

Insert
└── Forms
    ├── Header
    ├── Data header area
    ├── Data area
    ├── Data footer area
    ├── Conditional area
    ├── Footer
    ├── Placeholder text
    ├── Insertion point of next form
    └── Conditional forms

Also available under Insert:

• Text — static text labels
• Image file — company logo or symbol graphics
• Hyperlink — clickable URL reference

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Form Layout Areas — Detailed Reference

1. Header

Attribute	Detail
What it is	The top section of a report page, rendered once per page
Contains	Title block frame, project name, page number, company logo, revision box
Data source	Header object properties only (project-level and page-level)
Rendered	Once at the top of every generated page
Editable after generation	No

Function: The Header area defines the static frame and metadata that appears at the top (or around the border) of every report page. It is the equivalent of a printed document’s letterhead.

When to use: Always. Every form must have a Header area. It is where you place the title block with project name, drawing number, revision history, date, and company logo.

What goes inside:

• Company name and logo (Image file)
• Project name placeholder <10011>
• Drawing number <10141>
• Revision <10151>
• Page number <11021> / Total pages <11031>
• Creator <10081>, Approved by <10083>
• Date <10091>

Example output:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  ACME Engineering  │ Project: MCC-01  │ Rev: 03     │
│  Drawing: E-001    │ Date: 11.03.2026 │ Page: 7/24  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

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2. Data Header Area

Attribute	Detail
What it is	Column label row rendered once per data table, above the data rows
Contains	Fixed column heading labels — “Device Tag”, “Description”, “Article No.”
Data source	Static text only — no placeholders
Rendered	Once per table block (not repeated per row)
Editable after generation	No

Function: Defines the column titles for the table that follows. It separates the header from the repeating data rows so the reader knows what each column means.

When to use: Any form that outputs a table of records — parts lists, terminal lists, cable lists, connection lists, device tag lists. Without a Data header area, tables have no column labels.

What goes inside:

• Static text strings: "Tag", "Description", "Article No.", "Qty", "Manufacturer"
• Vertical separator lines between columns
• Background fill or border lines for visual separation

Example output:

┌──────────────┬────────────────────┬───────────────┬─────┐
│ Device Tag   │ Description        │ Article No.   │ Qty │
├──────────────┼────────────────────┼───────────────┼─────┤

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3. Data Area

Attribute	Detail
What it is	The repeating row template — the most important area in any report form
Contains	Placeholder properties that fill with real data — one copy per record
Data source	Data object properties (device, terminal, cable, part, PLC)
Rendered	Once per data record — repeated as many times as there are records
Editable after generation	No — change source data and regenerate

Function: This is the engine of the form. EPLAN reads this area once, then copies and fills it for every matching data record in the project. If your project has 50 terminals, the Data area is rendered 50 times — each time with the data for one terminal.

When to use: Every report form that lists multiple records must have a Data area. This includes:

• Parts lists (one row per part)
• Terminal diagrams (one row per terminal)
• Cable overviews (one row per cable)
• Connection lists (one row per wire)
• Device tag lists (one row per device)
• PLC diagrams (one row per I/O channel)

What goes inside:

• Placeholder texts referencing Data object properties
• Separator lines matching the Data header area column widths
• Optional conditional formatting (bold for certain types, etc.)

Example — Parts list Data area template:

│ <20001>      │ <20631>            │ <20601>       │<20801>│

Rendered output (5 rows for 5 devices):

│ =GB1+ET1-K1  │ Main contactor 11kW│ 3RT2026-1AP00 │  5  │
│ =GB1+ET1-F1  │ Motor circuit bkr  │ 3RV2021-4AA10 │  1  │
│ =GB1+ET1-Q1  │ Main isolator      │ 3LD2203-0TK53 │  1  │

⚠️ Critical rule: Placeholders for device/cable/terminal data only work inside the Data area. Placing them outside produces blank or incorrect output.

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4. Data Footer Area

Attribute	Detail
What it is	A summary row rendered once after all data rows on a page or table
Contains	Totals, sums, closing borders, page subtotals
Data source	Header object (for totals) or summation placeholders
Rendered	Once — after the last data row of the table block
Editable after generation	No

Function: Closes the data table and optionally displays calculated totals. Useful for showing total quantities, total cable length, total price, or simply drawing a closing border line under the last data row.

When to use:

• Parts lists — to show total item count or total cost
• Cable overview — to show total cable length
• Terminal lists — to show total terminal count per strip
• Any table where a summary row adds value

What goes inside:

• Static label "Total:" or "Sum:"
• Summation placeholder for quantity <20801> with Add up summation enabled
• Total price placeholder <20831>
• Closing horizontal border line

Example output:

├──────────────┼────────────────────┼───────────────┼─────┤
│              │                    │ TOTAL:        │  7  │
└──────────────┴────────────────────┴───────────────┴─────┘

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5. Conditional Area

Attribute	Detail
What it is	A block that is only rendered when a defined condition is true
Contains	Any layout elements — text, placeholders, lines, images
Data source	Evaluated against a property value or condition expression
Rendered	Only when the condition evaluates to true for that record
Editable after generation	No

Function: Allows the form to show or hide content dynamically based on data. For example: show a warning symbol only if a device has an ATEX classification, or show a shielding note only if a cable is shielded.

When to use:

• Show "ATEX" label only for explosion-protected devices
• Show shielding note on cable forms only when Shielded = Yes
• Show a spare terminal marker only when terminal type = "Spare"
• Display different row formatting for PE terminals vs signal terminals

Condition logic examples:

Property: Cable: Shielded  =  "Yes"   → show shielding note block
Property: ATEX identifier  ≠  ""      → show ATEX warning row
Property: Terminal type    =  "PE"    → show green/yellow color marker

Expert tip: Conditional areas are one of the most powerful but underused features in EPLAN form design. They eliminate the need for separate form variants for similar report types.

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6. Footer

Attribute	Detail
What it is	The bottom section of a report page, rendered once per page
Contains	Page number, revision notes, legal text, continuation markers
Data source	Header object properties (page-level)
Rendered	Once at the bottom of every generated page
Editable after generation	No

Function: Mirrors the Header in purpose but appears at the bottom of the page. Used for page numbering, “continued on next page” markers, and legal/copyright text.

When to use:

• When your title block is at the bottom of the page (common in European engineering drawing standards)
• When you need “Page X of Y” at the bottom
• When regulatory documentation requires a footer disclaimer

What goes inside:

• Page number <11021> and total pages <11031>
• Revision index <10151>
• “Sheet continues” text (static)
• Company legal text

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7. Placeholder Text

Attribute	Detail
What it is	An individual dynamic text element that resolves to a property value
Contains	A single property reference (one placeholder per text element)
Data source	Header object or Data object depending on placement
Rendered	Replaced with real data value on report generation

Function: The atomic unit of dynamic content in a form. Every dynamic value on a form — whether a device tag, a page number, or a manufacturer name — is a placeholder text element linked to a specific property.

When to use: Whenever you need to display a value that comes from the project database rather than typed manually. Use inside any of the areas above.

How to insert: Insert → Forms → Placeholder text then configure in the Properties dialog (see README_Placeholder_Properties.md).

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8. Insertion Point of Next Form

Attribute	Detail
What it is	A marker that defines where the next chained form begins on a multi-form page
Contains	A positional anchor point only — no visible content
Rendered	Not visible in output — used by EPLAN engine only

Function: When a report requires more than one form type on the same page (e.g., a terminal diagram followed immediately by a parts list for that strip), the insertion point marker tells EPLAN where the second form should start.

When to use:

• Combined report pages with two table types stacked vertically
• Terminal-strip overview followed by a cable entry table on the same page
• Any form that chains into a secondary form (Conditional forms)

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9. Conditional Forms

Attribute	Detail
What it is	A form block that is only inserted when a condition is met — at the form level, not the row level
Contains	A complete secondary form reference
Rendered	Only when the triggering condition is satisfied for the current record set

Function: Similar to Conditional area but operates at the whole-form level. Allows a completely different form layout to be used depending on the data context — for example, using a different terminal form layout for power terminals vs signal terminals.

When to use:

• Different layout needed for different terminal strip types
• Special form for ATEX-rated cable entries vs standard cables
• Alternate BOM format for fluid components vs electrical components

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Area Rendering Order on a Generated Page

┌──────────────────────────────────┐
│           HEADER                 │  ← Rendered once per page
├──────────────────────────────────┤
│        DATA HEADER AREA          │  ← Rendered once per table block
├──────────────────────────────────┤
│          DATA AREA               │  ← Repeated once per record
│          DATA AREA               │
│          DATA AREA               │
│          DATA AREA               │
│    [CONDITIONAL AREA if true]    │  ← Only when condition met
│          DATA AREA               │
├──────────────────────────────────┤
│        DATA FOOTER AREA          │  ← Rendered once after last row
├──────────────────────────────────┤
│           FOOTER                 │  ← Rendered once per page
└──────────────────────────────────┘

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Complete Form Type Reference — .f00 through .f34

.f00 — Title Page / Cover Sheet

Attribute	Detail
Report type	Title page, cover sheet, front matter
Areas used	Header, Footer, Placeholder text
Key properties	Project name, customer, revision, creator, approver, date
Interactive or generated	🔀 Mixed — cover sheet interactive; material regs / safety auto-generated
When to use	Always — mandatory for every documentation package
Typical content	Company logo, project metadata, revision table, compliance declarations, safety instructions

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.f01 — Table of Contents

Attribute	Detail
Report type	Document index / TOC
Areas used	Header, Data header area, Data area, Footer
Key properties	Page name <11001>, page description <11011>, page number <11021>, page type <11051>
Interactive or generated	⚙️ Auto-generated
When to use	Always — include in every formal documentation deliverable
Typical content	One row per page: page designator, description, page type, page number

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.f02 — Revision Overview

Attribute	Detail
Report type	Revision history list
Areas used	Header, Data header area, Data area, Footer
Key properties	Revision index, description, date, editor, approver
Interactive or generated	⚙️ Auto-generated
When to use	Projects with formal revision control — client deliverables, regulated industries
Typical content	Revision table with date, change description, drawn/approved columns

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.f03 — Parts List (Page-based)

Attribute	Detail
Report type	Parts list per schematic page
Areas used	Header, Data header area, Data area, Data footer area, Footer
Key properties	Device tag, article number, description, quantity, manufacturer
Interactive or generated	⚙️ Auto-generated
When to use	When BOM per schematic page is required (less common than .f05)
Typical content	All components on one page listed with part numbers

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.f04 — Cable Diagram / Cable Overview

Attribute	Detail
Report type	Cable documentation
Areas used	Header, Data header area, Data area, Conditional area, Footer
Key properties	Cable designation, type, length, from/to terminals, cross-section, shielded
Interactive or generated	⚙️ Auto-generated
When to use	Any project with routed cables between devices or panels
Typical content	Individual: one cable per page with conductor table. Total: all cables in one summary

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.f05 — Summarized Parts List (BOM)

Attribute	Detail
Report type	Consolidated Bill of Materials
Areas used	Header, Data header area, Data area, Data footer area, Footer
Key properties	Article number, description, manufacturer, quantity, unit, price
Interactive or generated	⚙️ Auto-generated
When to use	End of engineering — procurement BOM for purchasing department
Typical content	All identical parts summed: Qty 5 × Siemens 3RT2026-1AP00 @ €45 = €225

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.f06 — Device Tag List

Attribute	Detail
Report type	Complete list of all device tags
Areas used	Header, Data header area, Data area, Footer
Key properties	Full device tag, function text, type, article number, installation location
Interactive or generated	⚙️ Auto-generated
When to use	Design review, asset register, cross-reference checking
Typical content	Every tagged device with its full designation and associated part data

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.f07 — Plug / Connector Overview

Attribute	Detail
Report type	Connector and plug pin assignment overview
Areas used	Header, Data header area, Data area, Footer
Key properties	Connector designation, pin number, signal name, wire color, cross-section
Interactive or generated	⚙️ Auto-generated
When to use	Projects with multi-pin connectors, harnesses, or equipment interfaces
Typical content	Pin-by-pin wiring table for each connector in the project

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.f08 — Structure Identifier Overview

Attribute	Detail
Report type	Reference designation structure summary
Areas used	Header, Data header area, Data area, Footer
Key properties	Higher-level assignment =, installation location +, descriptions
Interactive or generated	⚙️ Auto-generated
When to use	Project setup review, tag convention documentation, client handover
Standard	IEC 81346
Typical content	Tree of all =, +, - identifiers used with their descriptions

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.f09 — Terminal Connection Diagram

Attribute	Detail
Report type	Graphical terminal wiring connection diagram
Areas used	Header, Data area, Conditional area, Footer
Key properties	Terminal designation, internal/external connections, wire, cable
Interactive or generated	⚙️ Auto-generated
When to use	Detailed graphical wiring documentation for complex terminal assemblies
Typical content	Graphical representation of terminal with wires shown as lines

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.f10 — Terminal-Strip Overview

Attribute	Detail
Report type	Terminal strip layout and wiring overview
Areas used	Header, Data header area, Data area, Conditional area, Data footer area, Footer
Key properties	Strip name, terminal designation, wire color, cross-section, bridge groups
Interactive or generated	⚙️ Auto-generated
When to use	Mandatory for all projects with terminal blocks — used by panel builders
Typical content	Strip X1: ordered list of terminals with connections, colors, cross-sections

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.f11 — Terminal Diagram

Attribute	Detail
Report type	Detailed per-terminal wiring diagram
Areas used	Header, Data header area, Data area, Conditional area, Footer
Key properties	Terminal designation, internal connection, external connection, cable, conductor, wire color
Interactive or generated	⚙️ Auto-generated
When to use	Complex marshalling panels, junction boxes, field instrument wiring
Typical content	Each terminal row shows full from/to path including cable and conductor reference

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.f12 — PLC Card Overview

Attribute	Detail
Report type	PLC hardware card layout overview
Areas used	Header, Data header area, Data area, Footer
Key properties	Card designation, slot, article number, rack
Interactive or generated	⚙️ Auto-generated
When to use	Projects with PLC systems where hardware layout documentation is required
Typical content	Rack/slot table listing each card with its type and address range

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.f13 — Bus System Overview

Attribute	Detail
Report type	Fieldbus / network topology overview
Areas used	Header, Data header area, Data area, Footer
Key properties	Bus name, device address, device type, cable type
Interactive or generated	⚙️ Auto-generated
When to use	Projects with PROFIBUS, PROFINET, DeviceNet, or other fieldbus systems
Typical content	All bus nodes listed with addresses and device types

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.f14 — Fluid Power / Pneumatic Parts List

Attribute	Detail
Report type	Parts list specific to fluid power components
Areas used	Header, Data header area, Data area, Data footer area, Footer
Key properties	Device tag (fluid), description, article number, quantity
Interactive or generated	⚙️ Auto-generated
When to use	Projects with pneumatic or hydraulic circuits documented in EPLAN Fluid
Typical content	Valves, cylinders, fittings, regulators with part numbers

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.f17 — Connection List

Attribute	Detail
Report type	Point-to-point wiring list
Areas used	Header, Data header area, Data area, Footer
Key properties	From terminal, to terminal, wire color, cross-section, potential, cable name
Interactive or generated	⚙️ Auto-generated
When to use	Panel wiring and commissioning — replaces reading schematics on the shop floor
Typical content	Every wire: X1:1 → K1:A1, BK, 1.5mm², L1

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.f18 — Potential Overview

Attribute	Detail
Report type	List of all electrical potentials in the project
Areas used	Header, Data header area, Data area, Footer
Key properties	Potential name, voltage level, frequency, signal type
Interactive or generated	⚙️ Auto-generated
When to use	Verifying potential definitions and checking for naming conflicts
Typical content	24VDC, 230VAC, L1, L2, L3, PE, GND — all potentials listed

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.f19 — Signal Overview

Attribute	Detail
Report type	List of all defined signals and their properties
Areas used	Header, Data header area, Data area, Footer
Key properties	Signal name, type, source device, target device
Interactive or generated	⚙️ Auto-generated
When to use	I&C projects — cross-referencing signal names to physical connections
Typical content	All signal names with source and destination devices

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.f22 — PLC Diagram (SPS Connection)

Attribute	Detail
Report type	PLC I/O wiring connection diagrams
Areas used	Header, Data header area, Data area, Conditional area, Footer
Key properties	PLC address, signal name, I/O type, card, slot, channel, symbolic address
Interactive or generated	⚙️ Auto-generated
When to use	All automation projects with a PLC — links field wiring to I/O cards
Typical content	I0.0 = Emergency_Stop_S1 → Terminal X10:1 → Card DI slot 2 channel 0
Note	“SPS” = German abbreviation for PLC

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.f30 — P&ID / Piping Overview

Attribute	Detail
Report type	Piping and Instrumentation Diagram overview page
Areas used	Header, Footer (diagram content is interactive)
Key properties	Process equipment tags, instrument tags, pipe designations
Interactive or generated	✏️ Interactive (drawn manually in P&ID editor)
When to use	Process plants, HVAC, water treatment, any fluid system with instrumentation
Standard	IEC 10628 / ISA 5.1
Typical content	Pumps, vessels, heat exchangers, valves, instruments with signal lines

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.f31 — Pre-planning: Pipe Class Overview

Attribute	Detail
Report type	Pipe specification class documentation
Areas used	Header, Data header area, Data area, Footer
Key properties	Pipe class name, material, pressure rating, temperature range, standard
Interactive or generated	✏️ Interactive (Pre-planning Navigator)
When to use	FEED phase — define pipe classes before detailed P&ID work begins
Typical content	Class A1B: Carbon steel, PN40, −20 to +300°C, for steam/utility systems

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.f32 — Pre-planning: Planning Object Overview

Attribute	Detail
Report type	High-level functional planning object summary
Areas used	Header, Data header area, Data area, Footer
Key properties	Planning object tag, description, loop number, assigned devices
Interactive or generated	✏️ Interactive (Pre-planning Navigator)
When to use	Early project phases — scope definition before detailed engineering
Typical content	PCT loops, cable placeholders, functional unit assignments

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.f33 — Pre-planning: Loop Diagram

Attribute	Detail
Report type	Instrumentation loop diagram
Areas used	Header, Data area, Conditional area, Footer
Key properties	Loop number, instrument tag, signal type, cable, terminal, DCS address
Interactive or generated	🔀 Mixed — loop defined in Pre-planning Navigator, diagram auto-rendered
When to use	All process instrumentation loops — mandatory for FAT/SAT
Standard	ISA 5.4
Typical content	TT-101 (4-20mA HART) → JB terminal → Marshalling → AI card → DCS tag

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.f34 — Pre-planning: Substance Overview

Attribute	Detail
Report type	Process medium / substance documentation
Areas used	Header, Data header area, Data area, Footer
Key properties	Substance name, phase, temperature, pressure, ATEX zone, hazard class
Interactive or generated	✏️ Interactive (Pre-planning Navigator)
When to use	Chemical, oil & gas, or any process project with regulated media
Typical content	Natural Gas: Gas phase, 10 bar, ATEX Zone 1, Hazard class II B T3

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Area × Form Type Matrix

Which areas are typically used in each form type:

Form	Header	Data Header	Data Area	Data Footer	Conditional	Footer
.f00 Title page	✅	—	—	—	—	✅
.f01 TOC	✅	✅	✅	—	—	✅
.f04 Cable	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
.f05 Parts list	✅	✅	✅	✅	—	✅
.f06 Device list	✅	✅	✅	—	✅	✅
.f08 Structure	✅	✅	✅	—	—	✅
.f10 Terminal strip	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
.f11 Terminal diagram	✅	✅	✅	—	✅	✅
.f17 Connection list	✅	✅	✅	—	—	✅
.f22 PLC diagram	✅	✅	✅	—	✅	✅
.f30 P&ID	✅	—	—	—	—	✅
.f33 Loop diagram	✅	—	✅	—	✅	✅

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Summary

Area	Rendered	Data Source	Core Purpose
Header	Once per page	Header object	Title block, project metadata
Data header area	Once per table	Static text	Column labels
Data area	Once per record	Data object	Repeating data rows
Data footer area	Once after last row	Header object / sum	Totals, closing border
Conditional area	Only if condition true	Data object	Dynamic show/hide content
Footer	Once per page	Header object	Page number, legal text
Placeholder text	Per placement	Header or Data object	Single dynamic value
Insertion point	Engine only	—	Chain multiple forms
Conditional forms	Only if condition true	—	Alternate form layout

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Related Files

File	Description
eplan_p8_project_structure.json	Full metadata for all 16 project report folders
README.md	General project structure reference
README_Interactive_vs_AutoGenerated.md	Interactive vs. auto-generated page types
README_Form_Components.md	Form file anatomy and placeholder syntax overview
README_Placeholder_Properties.md	Placeholder text dialog — elements and categories
README_Expert_Properties.md	Expert property reference with form mapping
README_Form_Layout_and_Types.md	This file

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EPLAN Electric P8 — Engineering Reference Documentation