2012 microsoft heartland region sharepoint conference slides
DESCRIPTION
InfoPath provides business users with a familiar, feature rich means of creating dynamic, powerful electronic forms. While it has been around since the 2003 release of Microsoft Office, InfoPath 2010 combined with SharePoint 2010, is a match made in heaven. InfoPath is heavily integrated into SharePoint 2010, and users can now create engaging forms within minutes and without writing a single line of code. This presentation will show you how you can start leveraging InfoPath to funnel your business information down a new path. Demos, gotchas, tips & tricks will all be a part of this 10,000 foot view of Microsoft InfoPath as it relates to SharePoint 2010.TRANSCRIPT
engageconnectsucceed
Funnel your Info down a new Path
Ryan DennisInformation Control Corporation
www.iccohio.com
ABOUT MERyan Dennis, MCTS, MCITPSenior SharePoint Engineer
SharePointRyan.com
@SharePointRyan
linkedin.com/in/ryandennis
Agenda
• Quick intro to Microsoft InfoPath 2010• How does it fit into the SharePoint 2010 Story?• What licensing do I need?• 4 Types of forms in SharePoint• DEMO - Creating a list form• DEMO - Creating a library-based web service
form• DEMO – Funneling Info down a new Path• Gotchas, Tips & Tricks• Q&A
What is InfoPath?• …a forms-creation and data-gathering tool to streamline
business processes…• …a tool for advanced business users to design
sophisticated electronic forms with no code…• …a point-and-click way to connect to LOB systems using
data connections…
Ok Ryan, so what is it really?• An awesome way for you to make data entry fun,
engaging and powerful…• A brilliant front-end to SharePoint list and library data…
• …an Office program…
And it works with SharePoint?• InfoPath forms can be used in SharePoint in multiple
ways, including…• List Forms• Customize existing SP Lists
• Browser-based Library Forms• Publish form templates for viewing in the browser
• Client-based Library Forms• Publish advanced form templates for viewing in the InfoPath client
• Workflow Forms• Modify SharePoint workflow forms using InfoPath for a richer
experience• Web Service Forms• Automatically create forms based on Web Services
What licensing do I need?• Client (InfoPath Designer)• Microsoft Office Professional Plus
2010• Server (Forms Services)• SharePoint Server 2010 Enterprise
*Without SP Enterprise, you can publish your forms to SharePoint and launch them in the client – but the InfoPath client is then required on every machine
4 Main Types of Forms in SharePoint…• List form• Modify an existing list form using InfoPath
• Browser-based form template• Publish a form template for browser use
• Client-based form template• Publish a form template for client use
• Workflow form• Modify Workflow forms
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WORKING WITH SHAREPOINTLIST FORMS
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WORKING WITH SHAREPOINTLIST FORMSLists are a collection of data in a site…
calendars contacts
tasks
Scenario
Creating a SharePoint List Form
Demo Recap: • Created a standard Contacts List in SharePoint 2010• Customized the List Form using InfoPath 2010• Modified a few fields for better user experience• Added some AdventureWorks branding elements• Had fun doing it…
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WORKING WITH SHAREPOINTLIBRARY-BASED FORMS
Library Based Forms:• Utilize a form template (XSN file)…• Are stored in a SharePoint Form Library…• Can leverage data connections and external content
types…• Provide more functionality than list-based forms…• Can be launched within the browser, in an InfoPath Form
Web Part or in the InfoPath Form Client*
*Some features which are supported in client-based forms are not supported in browser based forms. More info later…
Scenario
Business User
I don’t want to give you permission to create sites…
I want to create sites!!!
IT Administrator
Using a Web Service form to create Sites
Demo Recap: • Created a browser-based form template based on a web
service schema…• Connected it to the Sites.asmx Web Service…• Used the form to create a site request for a new subsite
under our Site Collection…• Used an Approval workflow to manage the site request…• Had a lot of fun doing it…
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WORKING WITH SHAREPOINTRECORDS CENTER SITESFunneling your Info down a new Path…
InfoPath Form Records:• InfoPath Forms can be sent to a Records Center,
but there are some issues…− The Form Template exists in the source site collection, thus the form
won’t open…− By definition, a Records Center is a locked down site – shouldn’t have
dynamic files such as forms with workflow
• There are some cool opportunities here…
Convert forms to PDF• There is no out-of-the-box way to do this, but…
− There are 3rd party tools− You can write your own…
• Why don’t I just show you!
Business Case Scenario• AdventureWorks has made a business decision to start
leveraging InfoPath for different types of data gathering and process management…
• They would like to archive completed forms in a SharePoint 2010 Records Center Site as a searchable, read-only PDF…
Sending InfoPath Forms to a SharePoint Records Center
Demo Recap: • Sent a generic InfoPath XML form to a Records Center,
not so pretty…• Added some workflow and used Muhimbi PDF converter
to convert submitted InfoPath Forms to PDF• Leveraged SharePoint Designer Workflow and Muhimbi
Workflow Actions to send converted PDFs to a Records Center
(For more information on Muhimbi, go to www.muhimbi.com)
Gotchas• Some controls not supported on List forms…• External item picker• Template Parts
• Managed metadata not supported at all…• Writing to a People Picker column not supported… • Sending completed forms to Records Center…
Tips & Tricks• Use Template Parts to create reusable templates to
include branding, help, standard fields, rules, etc.• Use External Content Types to populate InfoPath Forms
with LOB data…• Gather requirements and understand them, InfoPath is
great, but it’s not the right tool for everything…• Don’t recreate the wheel!
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QUESTIONS?
thank youRyan Dennis, MCTS, MCITPSenior SharePoint Engineer – ICC