The Content Pane
In the content pane you create and edit html elements and group them together based on their relationship to each other. Here you're creating the actual html structure for your form by defining the attributes of each object.
Think of what you're doing here as defining what each element in your form is, not what it will look like (this is handled in the Presentation Pane).
This distinction may seem like pure semantics, but separating content from presentation is not only at the heart of designing with web standards, it also frees you to concentrate on the vital aspects of your design (the content) while leaving the more superficial (how it may potentially be displayed) for later.
The Generic "Element"
The word "element" is used generically throughout formArchitect and this documentation to mean any type of html element that can be present in your form. Elements are further divided into Form Groups, Form Elements, and HTML Elements based on their function within the form.
See Grouping Elements for details.
Creating Elements
Create a new element by clicking the name of the element in the 'Add New Element' menu in the left column of the editor. You'll then be presented with a form that allows you to specify the new element's attributes.
See the documentation for each element in Element Types for specific details.
Editing Elements
Edit an element you've created by clicking it's identifier (typically label or legend text) in the "Edit Existing Element" menu in the left column of the editor, or in the "Existing Form Elements" table that appears in the center column of the editor. A form to change the attributes of the element will appear and, in the case of Form Groups, you'll have options to add or remove other elements from the group.
Grouping Elements
In formArchitect, there are three types of objects you can use in your forms: Form Groups, Form Elements, and HTML Elements. Each corresponds to a generic html element (like a fieldset, div, input, select, etc.) with the <input> element split among several Form Elements (see Element Types for details).
The key difference between these types of objects is that Form Groups (form, fieldset, and div) can contain other elements (other elements can be nested within their opening and closing tags) and are used to group elements of a related nature in your form.
Form Elements (representing form fields) and HTML Elements (generic html paragraphs and images) are grouped in Form Groups by selecting the group from the "Edit Existing Element" menu and choosing the "Add to Group" or "Remove from Group" tab.
Details about grouping and ungrouping elements can be found in the Controls Overview documentation.
Why Group Elements?
While you can certainly create a form using no Form Groups whatsoever, grouping related fields (especially in long or complex forms) not only makes it easier for a user to complete your form, it also ensures you'll receive appropriate data from them. The theory behind good design is beyond the scope of this documentation but should be a primary concern when creating your form (do a Google search for "usability" for more information).