A SharePoint-centric look at InfoPath 2010

1. Introduction to InfoPath 2010
A SharePoint-centric look at InfoPath 2010

2. What is InfoPath 2010?
 Form building tool for making standalone forms, and SharePoint list forms
 InfoPath 2010 is actually 2 different products
 InfoPath Designer 2010
 InfoPath Filler 2010
 Only available in Microsoft Office 2010 Professional Plus
 Only the richest people get to play (slight downside, one might say)
 SharePoint 2010 (and 2007 as well) have the capability to have a SharePoint
document library (form library) contain a collection of InfoPath forms
 Essentially, you associate a form with a document library, and the resulting
answered forms are the contents of the library

3. More About InfoPath 2010
 Types of Forms
 InfoPath based forms (to be filled in using “Filler”)
 Web based forms
 SharePoint 2010 Licensing – You will require the Enterprise CAL to:
 Use a SharePoint list with InfoPath forms
 Publish SharePoint library forms as web based forms
 Features of InfoPath
 Various UI controls
 Layouts (pre-designed table formats)
 Themes
 Multiple views
 Rules (the real bread and butter)
 Data connectivity (more of an advanced topic)

4. InfoPath Rules
 Rules are like the application programming logic for your form
 Types of Rules
• Can be used to specify an error message that
Validation
will be displayed if a condition is false
• Changes the “look and feel” of the UI elements
Formatting
(show/hide, color, fonts, etc.)
• Connect data connections to your form fields
Action • Set input parameter values from form fields
• Assign results back to the fields
 All of the rule logic is done without code, for example
 Populate a drop down with values  Generate unique incrementing ID values
 Pre-fill portions of a form with  Perform real-time validation of user
existing data input

5. The Kinds of Data InfoPath Can Use
• Soap
• Rest
Web Services
• WCF (.Net)
• Azure
• SQL Server
• ODBC
Databases
• OLE-DB
• Oracle
• SharePoint
XML Files
• File Server
• Convenient alternative to
SharePoint Lists / Libraries
using a database table

6. SharePoint and Forms
Doesn’t it already do forms without InfoPath?
 Yes, SharePoint forms are great, they’re simple and easy to use
 They’re available on every list and library
 No need for any “client” side tools to create the forms – they’re automatically updated
when you modify the list or library
 However, this may be a little too simple – no customization possible in SharePoint
 For customization, you can download and install SharePoint Designer and modify your
forms. However…
 Often people aren’t given access to SharePoint Designer (by their administrator)
 Lots of individuals aren’t comfortable with SharePoint Designer
 The tool can be hard to use/understand for novice users

7. Where does InfoPath differ?
 InfoPath allows you to create powerful, rich forms
 The forms do not require you to write any code
 This allows non-developers to both create them and maintain them
 You can create forms with
 Both out of the box and complex validation rules
 Lookups to external or SharePoint data
 Master / Detail lists
 Signed forms
 Essentially none of these are available with default SharePoint list forms
 Can be used with SharePoint custom workflows and Nintex workflows (very easily)
 And it’s simply just a really easy to use product to get the hang of
 “InfoPath is very much a rapid development tool. SharePoint list forms cannot do
even a fraction of what InfoPath does, and InfoPath does it all without writing
code.”
- Clayton Cobb, (former) InfoPath MVP – Current SharePoint MVP

8. What’s new in 2010?
 Ribbon interface
 Form Templates (when building a new form)
 Quick rules
 pre-built conditions and actions
 Create forms for SharePoint lists
 Use SharePoint Workspace for offline form completion of SharePoint lists
 New controls
 Picture Buttons, hyperlinks, date & time picker
 Publish form templates
 Quick Publish (to SharePoint)
 Filler and Designer separated
 Kind of similar to how Adobe has Acrobat and Acrobat Reader

9. Demo 1
Customizing SharePoint lists
Show off various features of InfoPath
Multiple views
Various controls
Layouts (pre-designed table formats)
Themes
Rules
Other ribbon features

10. Demo 2
Rules – from the basic to the complex
The Setup…
itgroove uses an InfoPath form for time entry records for
all their consultants
Some of the rules are basic, simple rules to perform
simple tasks (like change to a different view)
Other rules are more complex and chain together to
make multiple actions appear to happen simultaneously
Other, more complex/cool forms

11. Tabs!

12. Multi-views (1/2)

13. Multi-views (2/2)

14. In Summary…
InfoPath Can:
 Be your form product of choice
 Enable easy rule logic and provides plenty of capacity for scaling that logic
 Powerful and extensive data connectivity
InfoPath combined with SharePoint Enables
 Easy form creation for both lists and libraries
 Very neat and tidy forms OOTB, with easy modifications to add themes and change
layouts
 Brings form design to anyone with a license to Microsoft Office Professional Plus

15. Q&A + Contact
Any Questions?
Contact Details: InfoPath:
Colin Phillips http://office.microsoft.com/en-
cphillips@itgroove.net ca/infopath/
itgroove.net