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

# Elements

> Elements describe image objects a FlexiLayout must find (their type, geometry, location, and relations) and divide into simple and compound types.

An **element** describes one or more [image objects](/flexi-capture/fls/batch/prerecognition), such as separators, static text, and pictures. An element contains information about the type of the object, its geometrical features, its likely location, and relationships with other objects.

The program uses the properties of an element to look for the object it describes and determines a [region](/flexi-capture/fls/glossary/glossary-main-body#region) for the object. A region is made up of one or more rectangles enclosing the object. Next, the program uses the detected objects to locate [blocks](/flexi-capture/fls/template/blocks).

## Simple and compound elements

Elements fall into two categories:

* **Simple elements** do not contain any other elements: [Static Text](/flexi-capture/fls/template/static-text), [Separator](/flexi-capture/fls/template/separator), [White Gap](/flexi-capture/fls/template/white-gap), [Barcode](/flexi-capture/fls/template/barcode), [Character String](/flexi-capture/fls/template/character-chain), [Paragraph](/flexi-capture/fls/template/text-chain), [Object Collection](/flexi-capture/fls/template/object-collection), [Date](/flexi-capture/fls/template/date), [Phone](/flexi-capture/fls/template/phone), [Named Entity](/flexi-capture/fls/ner), [Currency](/flexi-capture/fls/template/currency), and [Region](/flexi-capture/fls/template/area).
* **Compound elements** contain other elements: [Group](/flexi-capture/fls/template/elements-compound), [Repeating Group](/flexi-capture/fls/template/repeatable-group), [First Found](/flexi-capture/fls/template/first-found), [Labeled Field](/flexi-capture/fls/template/labeled-field), [Header](/flexi-capture/fls/template/elements-header-footer), and [Footer](/flexi-capture/fls/template/elements-header-footer).

A [Table](/flexi-capture/fls/tables/table-element) element is neither simple nor compound and cannot be converted into an element of any other type.

You can convert elements of one type into elements of another type, but you cannot convert compound elements into simple elements or vice versa. To convert an element, select the **Convert To** command on its shortcut menu.

## How elements are displayed in the tree

An element may be displayed differently depending on its properties:

| State      | Appearance               |
| ---------- | ------------------------ |
| Disabled   | Shown in gray            |
| Required   | Marked with green checks |
| Prohibited | Marked with red checks   |

Elements are joined together to form [layout alternatives](/flexi-capture/fls/template/alternative-layout). In the project tree, each layout alternative is marked with <img src="https://mintcdn.com/abbyy/lqYknuOmCa79141v/images/flexi-capture/fls/el_compaund.gif?s=9c5e3c2b2460692062808aab4f7f8a1a" alt="Layout alternative icon" style={{display:"inline-block",verticalAlign:"middle",margin:0}} width="16" height="16" data-path="images/flexi-capture/fls/el_compaund.gif" />.

## Related topics

* [Create, copy, and delete elements](/flexi-capture/fls/template/elements-simple)
* [An overview of element properties](/flexi-capture/fls/template/elements-properties)
* [Search area](/flexi-capture/fls/template/search-constraints)
* [Additional search constraints](/flexi-capture/fls/template/advanced-constraints)
* [Train element parameters](/flexi-capture/fls/template/elements-training)