---
title: "Set Text Direction for Forms"
slug: "set-text-direction-for-xml-forms"
description: "Describes how to set up the default text direction for rearranges on Lasernet Core forms."
tags: ["Form Editor", "Lasernet Core"]
updated: 2026-04-15T10:58:10Z
published: 2026-04-15T10:58:10Z
canonical: "kb.lasernetgroup.com/set-text-direction-for-xml-forms"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://kb.lasernetgroup.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Set Text Direction for Forms

You can specify the default text direction for rearranges that support left-to-right and right-to-left processing.

Refer to the information for the version of Lasernet that you are using.

## Lasernet Core 11 and 10

In forms with XML or JSON as input format and TEXT as output format you can define the default **Text direction** for your rearranges.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/c831ef63-c6b3-48ee-b443-3e33644e4e2e/Images/Documentation/input xml 5.png)

This setting will affect the way the Form Editor behaves under different circumstances. In-line editing is not supported for fixed text objects if text direction is set to right-to-left in the output settings of the rearrange.

The default position on the screen for a new rearrange will vary based on this setting, as follows.

**Left-to-right:**

![](https://cdn.document360.io/c831ef63-c6b3-48ee-b443-3e33644e4e2e/Images/Documentation/input xml 6.png)

The upper-left corner of the output view.

**Right-to-left:**

![](https://cdn.document360.io/c831ef63-c6b3-48ee-b443-3e33644e4e2e/Images/Documentation/input xml 7.png)

The upper-right corner of the output view.

The value of the text direction setting in the **Display** option will also affect three default values in the settings of a rearrange:

![](https://cdn.document360.io/c831ef63-c6b3-48ee-b443-3e33644e4e2e/Images/Documentation/input xml 8.png)

![](https://cdn.document360.io/c831ef63-c6b3-48ee-b443-3e33644e4e2e/Images/Documentation/input xml 9.png)

| Left-to-right | Right-to-left |
| --- | --- |
| Text direction: Left-to-right Box Horizontal alignment: Left Text Horizontal alignment: Left | Text direction: Right-to-left Box Horizontal alignment: Right Text Horizontal alignment: Right |

### Punctuation

Punctuation marks at the end of a text string are rendered as if they are placed at the beginning when the writing direction is right-to-left. Punctuation characters are:

- comma ,
- full stop .
- exclamation mark !
- question mark ?
- semi-colon ;
- colon :
- apostrophe '
- quotation marks “ ”
- hyphen -
- brackets ( ) or [ ]
- slash /
- backslash \

Example of punctuation handling in left-to-right mode:

"Lasernet Core has support for left-to-right text writing:"

Example of punctuation handling in right-to-left text mode:

":Lasernet Core has support for right-to-left text writing"

## Lasernet Essentials

In forms you can define the default **Text direction** for the rearranges that support left-to-right and right-to-left text processing.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/c831ef63-c6b3-48ee-b443-3e33644e4e2e/Images/Documentation/text direction 1.png)

This setting influences the way the Form Editor behaves under different circumstances. In-line editing is not supported for fixed text objects if text direction is set to right-to-left in the output settings of the rearrange.

The default position on the screen for a new rearrange will vary based on this setting, as follows.

**Left-to-right:**

![](https://cdn.document360.io/c831ef63-c6b3-48ee-b443-3e33644e4e2e/Images/Documentation/input xml 6.png)

The upper-left corner of the output view.

**Right-to-left:**

![](https://cdn.document360.io/c831ef63-c6b3-48ee-b443-3e33644e4e2e/Images/Documentation/input xml 7.png)

The upper-right corner of the output view.

The value of the text direction setting in the **Display** option will also affect three default values in the settings of a rearrange:

![](https://cdn.document360.io/c831ef63-c6b3-48ee-b443-3e33644e4e2e/Images/Documentation/text direction 2.png)

| Left-to-right | Right-to-left |
| --- | --- |
| Text direction: Left-to-right Box Horizontal alignment: Left Text Horizontal alignment: Left | Text direction: Right-to-left Box Horizontal alignment: Right Text Horizontal alignment: Right |

### Punctuation

Punctuation marks at the end of a text string are rendered as if they are placed at the beginning when the writing direction is right-to-left. Punctuation characters are:

- comma ,
- full stop .
- exclamation mark !
- question mark ?
- semi-colon ;
- colon :
- apostrophe '
- quotation marks “ ”
- hyphen -
- brackets ( ) or [ ]
- slash /
- backslash \

Example of punctuation handling in left-to right mode:

"Lasernet has support for left-to-right text writing:"

Example of punctuation handling in right-to-left text mode:

":Lasernet has support for right-to-left text writing"