funnel your info down a new path
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
SharePoint SaturdayLouisville, Kentucky
July 28, 2012
Funnel your Info down a new Path
Ryan Dennis
About The Speaker
Ryan Dennis, MCTS, MCITPSenior SharePoint Engineer @ ICC Microsoft Virtual Technology Specialist (vTSP) www.SharePointRyan.com
@SharePointRyan
linkedin.com/in/ryandennis
What is a VTS?The Microsoft Virtual Technology Specialist Program (VTSP) is… • a select group chosen from the elite in Microsoft’s partner
community• their primary role is to communicate the value of Microsoft
Solutions to customers and to provide architectural guidance for Enterprise Integration solutions
VTSPs also:• have guest access to information on the Microsoft corporate
network such as knowledge bases, technical articles, training materials, and other resources
• guest access to Microsoft facilities• priority for participating in Microsoft marketing events
General Information
• Tweet it Out!!– Hashtag for this event: #SPSLouisville– Follow us: @SPSLouisville– Include your presenters
• Check out SPTV –Man on the street interviews…– Footage will be shown at http://mysp.tv
Clean-Up Items• Fill out your evaluation forms!
• Visit the Dugout for a sneak peak of SharePoint 2013 and Networking.
• See you back at Home Plate for the Closing and Raffles!!
SharePint is being held right here at the Marriott immediately following the event. Visit the Rackspace booth for your ticket.
For each unused drink ticket turned back in, a $5 donation will be made to charity.
Tonight’s SharePint is generously sponsored by
SharePoint Saturday Louisville has been made possible because of a generous sponsorship from the following friends…
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
WORKING WITH SHAREPOINTLIST FORMS
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…
WORKING WITH SHAREPOINT
LIBRARY-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 Administrat
or
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…
WORKING WITH SHAREPOINT
RECORDS CENTER SITES
Funneling 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!
Questions?
Ryan Dennis, MCTS, MCITPSenior SharePoint Engineer @ ICC Microsoft Virtual Technology Specialist (vTSP) www.SharePointRyan.com
@SharePointRyan
linkedin.com/in/ryandennis