1. #SPSNJ @PGBhoyar
Presented By: Prashant G Bhoyar
Building Business Solutions
Using InfoPath
05 October 2013

2. #SPSNJ @PGBhoyar
Who am I?
• SharePoint Consultant at Portal
Solutions
• Product - AuthentiMate
• Services – We love SharePoint ..
• Guy with multiple hats
• University of Maryland College
Park Alumni
• Recipient of Antarctic Service
Medal

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What Will We Cover Today?
• InfoPath
• InfoPath and SharePoint
• Browser based Forms
• InfoPath Deployment
• Limitations of InfoPath
• Future of InfoPath

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Why
InfoPath?

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LessComplexity
Why InfoPath in SharePoint?
• InfoPath Forms Services
• Browser Support
• Local Installation is not
required
• Easy to create
• Empowered non coders
• Out of the Box
• Formatting/Presentation
• Validations
• Rules
• Calculations
• Logic

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LessComplexity
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 Client Based
Technologies
• InfoPath Filler
• 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
• Used by Designers to design and publish
form templates

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Typical InfoPath Life Cycle

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LessComplexity
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

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LessComplexity
Browser Based Forms
• No local installation of InfoPath client
• Inherits SharePoint’s core functionalities
• 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 2010.
• Not available in SharePoint Foundation or SharePoint Standard
Server

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LessComplexity
InfoPath List Forms in SharePoint
• Advantages
• Easy to customize
• Add validations, rules
• Formatting/Presentation

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LessComplexity
InfoPath List Forms in SharePoint
• 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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LessComplexity
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.)
• Information is “Human Readable” …

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LessComplexity
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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LessComplexity
Data Connection Library
• List designed to store data connection files for use in
InfoPath
• Data connection details are not stored in the form
• 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

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DEMO

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LessComplexity
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
• Email
• Web Service
• Hosting Env
• Web Server
• Data Connection
• SharePoint Document Library

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InfoPath 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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LessComplexity
InfoPath Forms Web Part
SharePoint
• Consistent look and feel
• Use of InfoPath Forms Web Part
• Provides a range of options for rendering
• 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
LessComplexity
• 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 Deployment
Administrator Approved Forms
Templates
• Available only in On-Premise version
• Allows InfoPath form to be reused
throughout the entire SharePoint farm
• Easy to maintain, as we need to do change
at one location only
• Only option for deployment for code
behind
• 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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DEMO

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LessComplexity
Alternatives to InfoPath
Alternative Advantages over InfoPath Disadvantages
over InfoPath
Ideal 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 is
important
-Time and
Resources are
available
Custom
SharePoint
Web Parts
- Can meet exact
requirements (Custom Code)
-Difficult to
maintain without
developer
-Need complete
control over UI
-Want to avoid
custom code
Custom
SharePoint
Application
Pages
(ASP.NET
Pages)
- Can meet exact
requirements (Custom Code)
-Difficult to
maintain without
developer
-Need complete
control over UI
-Want to avoid
custom code

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LessComplexity
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/Resources
SharePoint 2010 Enterprise Architect's Guidebook
By: Brian Wilson; Reza Alirezaei; Bill Baer; Martin Kearn
Using Microsoft InfoPath 2010 with Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Step by Step
By: Darvish Shadravan and Laura Rogers
MSDN: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/default.aspx
Blogs : http://www.andrewconnell.com/blog/my-thoughts-infopath-2013-
the-future-of-infopath

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Princeton SharePoint user group
• Different SharePoint
discussions each month on
various topics. Announced on
meetup.com
• Meets 4th Wednesday of every
month
• 6pm – 8pm
• Infragistics Office
• 2 Commerce Drive, Cranbury,
NJ
• http://www.meetup.com/prin
cetonSUG
• http://www.princetonsug.com

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Thank You Event Sponsors
• Platinum & Gold
sponsors have
tables here in the
Fireside Lounge
• Please visit them
and inquire
about their
products &
services
• To be eligible for
prizes make sure
your bingo card is
signed by all
Platinum/Gold

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Questions? Feedback? Contact me:
 Twitter: @PGBhoyar
 Blog: http://pgbhoyar.wordpress.com ( limited contents )
 Email: pgbhoyar@gmail.com
Thank You
Organizers, Sponsors and You for Making this Possible.