InfoPath Forms Services

1. InfoPath Forms Services Chris Beckett | SharePoint Technology Specialist (206) 965-8257 | chris@sharepointbits.com | www.sharepointbits.com

2. Agenda • Forms Services Overview • Demo – Publishing and Viewing a Simple Form with Form Services • Differences between InfoPath Rich and Web Forms • Advantages of Data Connections • Demo – Using a Data Connection Library • InfoPath Security Modes and Publishing Alternatives • Demo – Farm Data Connection Library / Administrator-Approved Form • InfoPath Forms Services Query Parameters • Demo – Using Custom Query Parameters with VSTO • Mobile Forms • Demo – Viewing a Mobile Form • Resources • Q&A

3. InfoPath Forms Services Overview • The InfoPath Forms Services technology is available in the Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 Enterprise CAL and also, separately, in Microsoft Office Forms Server 2007. • Allows rendering InfoPath Forms in a Browser • InfoPath client is not required to be installed on the client machine • Cross-Browser support for IE, Safari, Firefox

4. Demo – Publishing a Form An introduction to publishing InfoPath forms for display in InfoPath Form Services: • Open Sample Template • Set Compatibility for Browser • Set Forms Options • Save Locally • Publish to SharePoint (Create New Library) • Update Library to display in browser • Demonstrate form displaying in browser

5. InfoPath Client vs. Forms Services Controls that work with Forms Services: • Text Box • Rich Text Box (Partial) • List Box • Drop-Down List Box • Date Picker • Check Box • Option Button • Button • Section • Optional Section • Repeating Section • Repeating Table • File Attachment • Hyperlink • Expression Box Controls that require InfoPath client: • ActiveX Control • Bulleted List Control • Choice Group/ Section • Combo Box • Horizontal Region/ Repeating Table • Ink Picture Control • Master/Detail Control • Multiple-Selection List Box • Numbered List Control • Picture Control • Plain List Control • Repeating Choice Group • Repeating Recursive Section • Scrolling Region • Vertical Label

6. InfoPath Features not supported by Forms • Filters • Submitting data to a database • Submitting ADO.NET Change Dataset • Alerts that display dialog boxes • Rules to open a new form • Digitally signing entire form • XSL customizations with xd:preserve • Data Connections across site collections • Custom code to save forms • Custom code to merge data • Legacy Code using InfoPath.SemiTrust • User Roles / Current User Role • Placeholder Text in Controls • Custom Task Panes • Prompting users to save changes when closing a form • Rules to display a dialog box • Protected Views • Word-Based Print Views • Undo / Redo • Check Spelling • AutoComplete • Information Rights Management • Send to Mail Recipient • Merge Forms • Export to Excel • COM Add-Ins • There are also differences between what classes and members of the Microsoft.Office.Infopath namespace can be used with Forms Services

7. Data Connections • Xml file in the Universal Data Connection V2 Format • Abstracts connection details from the InfoPath Form • Saved to a special library called a “Data Connection Library” • Can be deployed at a site, or farm-level • Allows browser-based forms to access Web Services securely, even across domains (with configuration) • Allows submitting forms across Site Collections and Web Applications • Configuration managed from Central Administration under Application Settings

8. Demo – Data Connection Libraries Using data connection libraries to improve the portability of InfoPath Forms: • Create a custom list to hold Trip Class options • Add a receive data connection to the new list • Create a Data Connection Library • Create a UDCv2 file pointing to the Trip Class list. Upload to the data connection library. • Add a receive data connection to the new UDC in the data connection library. • Review form manifest to demonstrate that data connections do not hard-code connection information into the form. • Republish the form as a Content Type • Create new form library and add new content type • Display the form and demonstrate data being retrieved through data connection library

9. Form Security Modes USER FORMS / DOMAIN-TRUST • Forms published directly to SharePoint Form Libraries or Content Types • Forms that use Site Collection Data Connection Libraries • Local to site collection – if published to another site collection completely independent copy (hard to manage changes) ADMIN-APPROVED / FULL-TRUST • Forms with code-behind • Forms that use Data Connections from Central Administration • Can be used in multiple site collections and web applications • Single place to make changes • Additional overhead to publishing process

10. Demo – Full Trust Forms Use a Farm-Level data connection library with an Administrator-Approved Form: • Open Central Administration and upload UDC file to Farm Data Connection Library • Add a receive data connection to the new UDC in the data connection library – specify “Centrally Managed connection library” • Republish the form as an Administrator-Approved Form • Open Central Administration and upload form template. Publish to demo site collection. • Open demo site and display published form template and new auto-generated content type.

11. Invoking Forms by URL • URL that references a form template (*.xsn) or form file (*.xml) • URL that references the built-in FormServer.aspx Web Page • Custom Page containing the XmlFormView control http://ServerName/sites/SiteCollection/FormLibrary/Form1.xml?OpenIn=Browser http://ServerName/sites/SiteCollection/_layouts/FormServer.aspx?XmlLocation=~sitecollection/FormLibrary/Form1.xml http://ServerName/sites/SiteCollection/FormLibrary/Forms/template.xsn?NoRedirect=true

12. Passing Parameters to Forms • Passes any additional query parameters not recognized by InfoPath Forms Services to browser form as Input Parameters in the Form Loading event.http://server/sites/team/forms/DeptReport.xsn?Dept=Accounting Reading Input Parameters for Form Opened with URL public void FormEvents_Loading(object sender, LoadingEventArgs e) { string purpose = e.InputParameters[“Purpose"]; XPathNavigatorxmlNav = CreateNavigator(); xmlNav.SelectSingleNode("/my:travelRequest/my:purpose“, NamespaceManager).SetValue(purpose); } Reading Input Parameters for Form Opened in XmlFormViewWebPart public void FormEvents_Loading(object sender, LoadingEventArgs e) { string param = HttpContext.Current.Request.Params[“myParam"]; … } • Query parameters allow InfoPath to be invoked from links, the Business Data Catalog, a DataFormView on a custom SharePoint Designer page, etc.

13. Demo – Forms Services Query Parameters Demonstrate supported and custom query parameters for InfoPath Web Forms: • Open the demo site and browse to Form Templates • Display the form template using Form Services Query Parameters…\TravelRequest.xsn?OpenIn=Browser • Switch to the InfoPath Form • Open VSTO by selecting Tools > Programming > Loading Event from InfoPath • Add code to copy the “Purpose” parameter to the Business Purpose field • Republish the form as an Administrator-Approved Form • Open the demo site and create a new form. • Update the URL to add our new custom query parameter and refresh the browser • Display how the query parameter became the value for the form field

14. Mobile Forms Mobile Form Design Differences • ASP.NET Controls replaced with ASP.NET Mobile Controls • HTML Tables and CSS not supported by some mobile browsers – visual fidelity is not guaranteed • Mobile representation rendered during publishing – may look different on different devices • Only support a sub-set of browser controls: • Text Box • List Box • Check Box • Drop-Down List Box • Repeating Section • Expression Box • Date Picker • Buttons • Recommendations • Used buttons and multiple views to organize controls for small screens • Use only supported controls to minimize rendering inconsistencies • Minimize dynamic data queries that require round-trips to the server

15. Demo – Mobile Forms Demonstrate rendering a form in a mobile device: • Start the Windows Mobile 6 Emulator • Start Pocket IE • Browse to demo site mobile view • Open the “BreakfastParis” file • Demonstrate the form rendering in a mobile device

16. Forms Services Configuration • Located in Central Administration > Applications > InfoPath Forms Services • Allows configuration of farm settings for Forms Services • Can be used to enforce secure policies around form connections to data, etc • Session State Size – Large File Upload support • Should publishing browser forms be restricted to Administrators? • Does access to data sources need to be secure? • Is cross-domain access to data allowed?

17. Resources • Microsoft Office Forms Server 2007 SDKhttp://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms772301.aspx • InfoPath Forms Server 2007 – An Essential Guide!http://www.marclenferna.com/blog/archive/2008/10/31/infopath-forms-server-2007---an-essential-guide.aspx • TechNet Office System Tech Center – Microsoft Office Forms Server 2007http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/office/bb267350.aspx • Planning and architecture, deployment, and operations for Office Forms Server 2007 (Downloadable Book)http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc197347.aspx • Office Online - Microsoft Office Forms Server 2007http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/formsserver/FX100490391033.aspx • Office Developer Center – InfoPath 2007 Resource Centerhttp://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/office/aa905443.aspx • MSDN VSTO – InfoPath Developer Reference for Managed Codehttp://msdn.microsoft.com/en-gb/library/aa941030(VS.80).aspx • InfoPath Team Bloghttp://blogs.msdn.com/infopath • InfoPath Forms Services 2007 Web Testing Toolkithttp://www.codeplex.com/ipfswebtest

18. Questions and Answers Tonight’s Topics: • Forms Services Overview • InfoPath Client vs. Forms Services • Custom Web Services Integration • Advantages of Data Connections • InfoPath Trust Model • Form Publishing Options • Admin-Approved Forms • Invoking Form Services by URL • Passing Parameters • Code-Behind with VSTO • Mobile Forms Email me to get a copy of this slide deck