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Presented By: Prashant G Bhoyar
Building Business SolutionsUsing InfoPath
23 February 2013
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Who am I?
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What Will We Cover Today?• InfoPath
• InfoPath and SharePoint
• Browser based Forms
• InfoPath Deployment
• Limitations of InfoPath
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WhyInfoPath?
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Why InfoPath in SharePoint?• InfoPath Forms Services
• Browser Support –Local Installation is not required
• Easy to create
• Out of the Box Validation, Rules, Calculations, Logic, Formatting
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Examples of InfoPath in SharePoint• Leave System
• Time cards
• Performance reviews
• Collaborative budgeting
• Status reports
• Service requests
• Recruiting
• New project initiation
• New hires / terminations
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InfoPath 2010 Client Based Technologies
• InfoPath Filler 2010
• Used by End Users to complete the forms or “fill it in”
• Can’t be use to design form templates
• Need InfoPath client to use
• InfoPath Designer 2010
• Used by Designers to design and publish form templates
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Typical InfoPath Life Cycle
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InfoPath Forms in SharePoint• Standard InfoPath Forms
• Usage Scenario : Users create new form, fill the information and promote certain fields to forms library (Property Promotion)
• List Forms
• Upgrade the List associated forms to InfoPath forms. (add InfoPath capabilities of formatting, rules, logic, calculations, and so on).
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Browser Based Forms• Users don’t need local installation of InfoPath client
• Any options that cannot be rendered in a browser is hidden. For Example (Spell-Check, The Vertical Label, Ink Picture, Signature
Line, Scrolling).
Full list can be found here http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/infopath-help/infopath-2010-features-
unavailable-in-web-browser-forms-HA101732796.aspx
• Available only with Enterprise Client Access License (eCAL) for SharePoint. Not available in SharePoint Foundation or SharePoint Standard Server
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InfoPath List Forms in SharePoint• Advantages
• Easy to customize
• Add validations, rules
• Drawbacks
• SharePoint adds additional information to list and content type like hidden fields, absolute urls
• Deployment to other site collection, Web Application and Farms
• Resolution: Save list as template (.stp) and deploy
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DEMO
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InfoPath XSN and XML Files• XSN or Form Template is collection of several files
packaged into a cabinet (.cab) file
• Forms are stored in SharePoint in the form of XML files
• Inherits core SharePoint functionalities (Versions, Recycle Bin etc.)
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Data Connections• Sources
• Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) Web Services
• Representational State Transfer (REST) Web Services
• SharePoint lists
• Database
• XML file
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Data Connection Library• List designed to store data connection files for use in
InfoPath
• Details of system to which the form connects are not hard-coded into the form
• If connection details change, only the data connection must be updated. This avoids needing to update and redeploy the form
• Data connection details are not stored in the form itself
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DEMO
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Save and Submit• Use InfoPath toolbar options Save and Save As
• No control over where the forms get saved, or what filenames are used.
• Custom Submit Button
• Web Service
• Hosting Env
• Web Server
• Data Connection
• SharePoint Document Library
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InfoPath 2010 Forms Data• Store in form itself
• Open the form to see the info
• Difficult to crawl the information
• Publish in Library/List –“Property Promotion”
• Create list views
• Can be used by other Workflows
• Used as look up field
• Search
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DEMO
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InfoPath Forms Web Part SharePoint• InfoPath Browsers Forms takes entire screen
area. This can be confusing for users
• Use of InfoPath Forms Web Part
• Provides a range of options for rendering
a form inside a web part that can be placed in any SharePoint web part page
• Avoid if Form is complex and has multiple views
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DEMO
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InfoPath Deployment
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InfoPath Deployment
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• Deploying to a Form Library
• InfoPath Designer requires direct access to SharePoint Server
• Form will be available in specific site/library
• Deploying to a Content Type
• Creates a new content type
• Available in List and Libraries of Site
• Cons:
• Need to deploy manually to all site collections
• Manually associate content type with list/library
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InfoPath DeploymentAdministrator Approved Forms Templates
• Allows InfoPath form to be reused throughout the entire SharePoint farm
• Easy to maintain, as we need to do change at one location only
• If Form has code behind in it, then this is the only option for deployment
• To deploy:
• Save the Form template
• Upload to Central Admin
• Use the option “Activate to a site collection” for each site collection
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InfoPath Deployment
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Deploy with Feature• XsnFeatureReceiver class in namespace
Microsoft.Office.InfoPath.Server.Administration
• During activation/deactivation copy the .XSN file to forms library
• Same as publishing the form using InfoPath designer
• Deployment can be done per site collection
• Since it’s a feature more control via PowerShell and Deployment/Retraction
• Cannot be used to deploy forms to Central Administration
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DEMO
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EvaluatingSharePoint Forms
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Alternatives to InfoPathAlternative Advantages over InfoPath Disadvantages
over InfoPathIdeal Usage When not to use
SharePoint List Forms
-Very Quick to Design-Can be upgraded to InfoPath-No technical Skills Required
-No control over Presentation
-When very simple Info is required-When time and resource are Limited
-Presentation isimportant-Time and Resources are available
Custom SharePoint Web Parts
- Can meet exactrequirements (Custom Code)
-Difficult to maintain without developer
-Need complete control over UI
-Want to avoid custom code
Custom SharePoint Application Pages (ASP.NETPages)
- Can meet exactrequirements (Custom Code)
-Difficult to maintain without developer
-Need complete control over UI
-Want to avoid custom code
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Workflows using InfoPath and SharePoint• Use SharePoint Alerts when forms are submitted
• Send custom notification using SharePoint Designer Workflow
• Custom Code
• Third Party Workflow Tools
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Is InfoPath Right Choice?• Yes if,
• Forms that must be designed by a non-technical user (Power User)
• Custom Code is not allowed
• Forms that will benefit from rich conditional formatting
• Forms that must be designed rapidly
• Solution will be hosted in cloud vs on Premise
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References
Appendix/ResourcesSharePoint 2010 Enterprise Architect's GuidebookBy: Brian Wilson; Reza Alirezaei; Bill Baer; Martin Kearn
MSDN: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/default.aspx
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Questions? Feedback? Contact me:
Twitter: @PGBhoyar Blog: http://pgbhoyar.wordpress.com Email: [email protected]
Thank You Organizers, Sponsors and You for Making this Possible.
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Thanks To Our Sponsors!
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SharePoint User Group
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• Meetings: 2nd Tuesday of the month, Microsoft Malvern, 5:30-8 pm
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who deals with SharePoint, Office or Office365?
• Do you sometimes feel cut off from the rest of the SharePoint world?
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