InfoPath Forms Services Tips & Tricks

Eric HarlanPrincipal ArchitectSogeti USASession Code: OFC312

SharePoint List Mash Up’sAbout Eric Harlan

Lets have FUN!Conversations not Lectures

First time in South AfricaFirst Tech EdSharePoint for 6 years, I.T. for 10

Principal Architect for Sogeti USA Twitter.com - @ericharlanhttp://www.ericharlan.com

InfoPath Forms Services Tips & TricksAgenda

Brief InfoPath OverviewSome of the shortcomings of InfoPathDemo: Overcoming 5 conditional formatting declarationsDemo: Getting a Sum Total, of a repeating tables fieldDemo: Getting InfoPath forms into a web partQuestions

InfoPath Forms Services Tips & TricksWhat is InfoPath?

Digital Forms Creation ToolXML BasedData can be stored to SPFS,Web Services, Email, etcAllows Code BehindOffers a Tangible goalof a paperless office.

InfoPath Forms Services Tips & TricksPros & ConsPros

Very quick to do simple formsInfoPath does what .Net custom forms do with point and clicking Mild to Power users can create forms in no timeEasy to integrate with MOSS and store dataGives developers a huge launch pad in which to do custom formsIn browser mode, the user only needs a browser and permissions.

InfoPath Forms Services Tips & TricksPros & ConsCons

If planning is not done on large forms with respect to: schema and groups/sections time and efforts can be wastedCryptic intricaciesFunctionality goes down if you use InfoPath Form Services Browser ModeIf you do not use Browser mode, every user needs InfoPath installed

InfoPath Forms Services Tips & TricksThree Amigos

Three of the most used and misunderstood elementsSectionsConditional FormattingFormulas

InfoPath Forms Services Tips & TricksSections (Optional, Repeating) Repeating Tables

One of the most critical parts of InfoPath to learnUsed in 99% of all formsEach have very distinctive personalities

(For example, to hide “insert item” you must nest Repeating table in a section)

Filters, Rules, Conditional formatting apply to sections/repeating tables

InfoPath Forms Services Tips & TricksConditional Formatting

Allows you to hide or show based on various variablesHave to think in opposites since only options for hidingOnly check box is “Hide this control”Also Allows: Bold, underline,strikethrough, italic, font color change and shading

InfoPath Forms Services Tips & TricksFormulas

Allows you to populate fields based on other form dataAllows concatenation of multiple fields(ex: unique form entry “User_Name + Now()” )Various formulas built in from Sum to Substrings

InfoPath Forms Services Tips & TricksFormulas

Allows you to populate fields based on other form dataAllows concatenation of multiple fields(ex: unique form entry “User_Name + Now()” )Various formulas built in from Sum to Substrings

Win!LifeCam Show

Ultra-Thin Mobile DesignWorld-Class High Definition Optics

Question:Name another function or control not mentioned in the InfoPath overview (First three, most creative wins)

Please attend other business productivity sessionsOffice and SharePoint track (OFC)Unified Communications (UNC)

Getting the Sum of repeating FieldsEric HarlanPrincipal ArchitectSogeti USA

demo

Breaking the 5 C.F. barrierEric HarlanPrincipal ArchitectSogeti USA

demo

InfoPath in a web partEric HarlanPrincipal ArchitectSogeti USA

demo

InfoPath Forms Services Tips & TricksFarewell

Evaluations (5's are better)Lets Chat afterOther Tech Ed Sessions

InfoPath tips and tricksFederated SearchArchitecture Panel w/Joel Oleson, Hilton Giesenow, Zlatan Dzinic

Twitter.com - @ericharlanhttp://www.ericharlan.com

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