Designing Forms for SharePoint and InfoPath Using InfoPath Designer 2010

by Roberts, Scott; Green, Hagen; Meats, Jessica

• ISBN13: 9780321743602
• ISBN10: 0321743601
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-05-06
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional

Summary

Together, InfoPath 2010 and Microsoft SharePoint Designer 2010 make it possible to create end-to-end solutions that combine powerful forms, enterprise-scale workflow, and access to key business data. Now, three leading Microsoft experts offer a complete introduction to building the forms that drive these solutions. #xA0; Designing Forms for SharePoint and InfoPathcombines deep knowledge of InfoPath, new insights into SharePoint development, and an insider#x19;s view of new InfoPath features for building more powerful SharePoint applications. Ideal for information workers, power users, and experienced form designers and developers, it teaches each new techniques through downloadable examples, including form templates, code, and XML. #xA0; You#x19;ll start with a complete hands-on primer for designing rich forms with InfoPath Designer, covering Forms Services, data retrieval and submission, controls, customization, saving, publishing, and workflow. Next, you#x19;ll turn to advanced form design, including coding, the InfoPath object model, and InfoPath hosting options. Coverage includes #xA0; Mastering best practices for designing forms and working with data Setting up Forms Services in SharePoint 2010 Using new InfoPath controls and customization techniques Adding logic without code via Quick Rules and the Rules Management pane Using the InfoPath Form Web Part to create powerful solutions with minimal code, including data mashups Submitting, saving, and publishing, including Quick Publish Building reusable components, custom controls, and add-ins Securing and efficiently deploying solutions Making the most of reporting and workflows Writing better InfoPath code more quickly with Visual Studio Tools for Office Using import/export and the new import wizard Customizing forms for creating, viewing, and editing SharePoint lists Building dynamic queries to REST Web services #xA0; Using these techniques, you can automate your processes for collecting, managing, and sharing information; create applications that interact with external data, enhance web pages, and drive workflow; and solve real business problems.

Author Biography

Scott Roberts is a Principal Development Lead in the SQL Server group at Microsoft Corporation. Previously, he was a Development Lead on the InfoPath team, and was involved with InfoPath since its inception. While in the InfoPath team, he led the development of many features for designing and editing InfoPath forms. Scott is also the author of Programming Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 (Microsoft Press, 1999) and numerous technical articles and publications.

 

Hagen Green is a Senior Program Manager at Microsoft Corporation, working on the Windows Phone Communications team. He previously led the User Experience Platform test team in SharePoint Foundation. He contributed chapters on InfoPath to Visual Studio Tools for Office: Using Visual Basic 2005 with Excel, Word, Outlook, and InfoPath (Addison-Wesley, 2006), and Visual Studio Tools for Office: Using C# with Excel, Word, Outlook, and InfoPath (Addison-Wesley, 2005).

 

Jessica Meats is a Partner Technology Advisor for Microsoft Corporation specializing in Microsoft SharePoint Server, Office and Business Intelligence. She joined Microsoft in 2008, straight out of university, as a Partner Technology Specialist and chose InfoPath as one of her specialities, wishing that some of the companies she’d done temp work for as a student had used such a product. Her job involves helping partner organizations work with these products and aiding new partners quickly gain the skills needed to build a practice around delivering these solutions. Jessica is the author of a science-fiction thriller, Child of the Hive (Book Guild Publishing Ltd., 2009). In her spare time, Jessica writes fiction, juggles fire, and studies kung fu.

Table of Contents

Figures xxi

Tables xlv

Foreword xlix

Preface liii

Acknowledgments lxi

About the Authors lxiii

 

PART I: Designing Forms 1

 

Chapter 1: Introduction to InfoPath 2010 3

What Is InfoPath? 3

InfoPath 2003 7

InfoPath 2003 Service Pack 1 12

InfoPath 2007 17

InfoPath 2010 22

What’s Next? 25

 

Chapter 2: Basics of InfoPath Form Design 27

Getting Started 27

What Is a Form Template Anyway? 28

Creating a New Blank Form Template 33

Designing the Layout of Your Form 35

What’s Next? 77

 

Chapter 3: Introducing Forms Services 79

Getting Started 79

What Is InfoPath in the Browser? 80

Getting Familiar with Browser Forms 85

Designing a Browser-Enabled Form Template 95

Getting Familiar with the Browser Form Experience 105

What’s Next? 108

 

Chapter 4: Working with Data 111

Getting Started 111

Data Binding 112

Data Source Field and Group Properties 121

Manually Editing the Data Source 145

Advanced Data Binding 167

Editing Default Template Data 180

What’s Next? 183

 

Chapter 5: Advanced Controls and Customization 185

Getting Started 185

Advanced Controls 186

Control Properties 204

Advanced Customizations 238

What’s Next? 246

 

Chapter 6: Adding Logic without Code 247

Getting Started 247

Data Validation 247

Conditional Formatting 258

Action Rules 264

Rule Inspector 272

Creating Multiple Views 276

What’s Next? 278

 

Chapter 7: Retrieving Data from External Sources 281

Getting Started 281

Data Connections 282

SharePoint Libraries and Lists 286

XML Files 290

Databases 301

SOAP Web Services 317

Extended Features of Web Services 333

Data Connections in Browser Forms 334

Secondary Data Source Binding 338

Offline Mode Query Support 343

List Box Controls Connected to Secondary Data Sources 348

What’s Next? 358

 

Chapter 8: Submitting Form Data 361

Getting Started 361

Why Submit? 362

Submitting Forms 367

Submit Options 420

What’s Next? 423

 

Chapter 9: Saving and Publishing 425

Getting Started 425

Saving and Publishing a Form Template with InfoPath Designer 426

Publishing a Form Template to Forms Services 442

Saving Templates as Exported Source Files 451

Previewing Form Templates 454

What’s Next? 459

 

Chapter 10: Workflow 461

Getting Started 461

Workflow with Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2010 462

Using InfoPath Forms with SharePoint Designer 470

User Roles 479

Workflow with InfoPath E-Mail Forms 499

What’s Next? 519

 

PART II: Advanced Form Design 521

 

Chapter 11: Security and Deployment 523

Getting Started 523

Introduction to InfoPath Security 525

InfoPath Security Levels 526

Trust and Designer Lockdown 566

Digital Signatures 574

Information Rights Management 607

What’s Next? 618

 

Chapter 12: Creating Reports 619

Getting Started 619

Merging Forms 620

Printing 652

Exporting Forms 670

What’s Next? 677

 

Chapter 13: Writing Code in InfoPath 679

Getting Started 679

Writing Code Behind a Form 680

The InfoPath Object Model 691

Programming InfoPath . . . in Action! 739

Form Code 781

What’s Next? 790

 

Chapter 14: Advanced Forms Services 791

Getting Started 791

Controls and Browser Optimizations 792

Advanced Publishing and Administration 801

Data Connections 842

Hosting the InfoPath Form Control in a Web Browser 864

Performance Tips and Best Design Practices 888

What’s Next? 901

 

Chapter 15: Non-SharePoint Functionality 903

Getting Started 903

Hosting Scenarios 904

Document Information Panel 905

Creating an InfoPath Host Application 916

Installing and Using ActiveX Controls 950

Building Custom Controls for InfoPath Using ActiveX 960

What’s Next? 962

 

Chapter 16: Importers and Exporters 963

Getting Started 963

Built-in Form Importers 964

Creating Your Own Form Importers and Exporters 976

What’s Next? 990

 

Appendices 991

 

Appendix A: Integration of InfoPath 2010 and SharePoint Server 2010 List Forms 993

Building or Updating a Site 993

Capabilities of InfoPath and SharePoint List Forms 994

Editing SharePoint Lists Forms 998

Building a Mashup Page 1006

Exporting Data to Excel or Access for Simple Reporting 1018

Summary 1019

 

Appendix B: Further Reading 1021

Chapter 2: Basics of InfoPath Form Design 1021

Chapter 4: Working with Data 1021

Chapter 5: Advanced Controls and Customization 1022

Chapter 7: Retrieving Data from External Sources 1022

Chapter 8: Submitting Form Data 1022

Chapter 9: Saving and Publishing 1023

Chapter 10: Workflow 1023

Chapter 11: Security and Deployment 1023

Chapter 12: Creating Reports 1024

Chapter 13: Writing Code in InfoPath 1024

Chapter 14: Advanced Forms Services 1025

Chapter 15: Non-SharePoint Functionality 1025

General Reference Material 1026

 

Index 1027