Programmatically Edit Infopath Form Fields? - sharepoint

Question

I have a form library in my share point site. Programmatically I need to fill some fields. Can I do that? If any one know please provide me some sample code. First I need to retrieve the infopath document and then I need to fill the fields.

Answer 1

What axel_c posted is pretty dang close. Here's some cleaned up and verified working code...
public static void ChangeFields()
{
//Open SharePoint site
using (SPSite site = new SPSite("http://<SharePoint_Site_URL>"))
{
using (SPWeb web = site.OpenWeb())
{
//Get handle for forms library
SPList formsLib = web.Lists["FormsLib"];
if (formsLib != null)
{
foreach (SPListItem item in formsLib.Items)
{
XmlDocument xml = new XmlDocument();
//Open XML file and load it into XML document
using (Stream s = item.File.OpenBinaryStream())
{
xml.Load(s);
}
//Do your stuff with xml here. This is just an example of setting a boolean field to false.
XmlNodeList nodes = xml.GetElementsByTagName("my:SomeBooleanField");
foreach (XmlNode node in nodes)
{
node.InnerText = "0";
}
//Get binary data for new XML
byte[] xmlData = System.Text.Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(xml.OuterXml);
using (MemoryStream ms = new MemoryStream(xmlData))
{
//Write data to SharePoint XML file
item.File.SaveBinary(ms);
}
}
}
}
}
}

Answer 2

The Infopath document is just a regular XML file, the structure of which matches the data sources you defined in the Infopath form.
You just need to access the file via the SharePoint object model, modify it using standard methods (XmlDocument API) and then write it back to the SharePoint list. You must be careful to preserve the structure and insert valid data or you won't be able to open the form using Infopath.
You should really check out a book on SharePoint if you plan to do any serious development. Infopath is also a minefield.
Object model usage examples: here, here and here. The ridiculously incomplete MSDN reference documentation is here.
EDIT: here is some example code. I haven't done SharePoint for a while so I'm not sure this is 100% correct, but it should give you enough to get started:
// Open SharePoint site
using (SPSite site = new SPSite("http://<SharePoint_Site_URL>"))
{
using (SPWeb web = site.OpenWeb())
{
// Get handle for forms library
SPList formsLib = web.Lists["FormsLib"];
if (formsLib != null)
{
SPListItem itm = formsLib.Items["myform.xml"];
// Open xml and load it into XML document
using (Stream s = itm.File.OpenBinary ())
{
MemoryStream ms;
byte[] xmlData;
XmlDocument xml = new XmlDocument ();
xml.Load (s);
s.Close ();
// Do your stuff with xml here ...
// Get binary data for new XML
xmlData = System.Text.Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes (xml.DocumentElement.OuterXml);
ms = new MemoryStream (xmlData);
// Write data to sharepoint item
itm.File.SaveBinary (ms);
ms.Close ();
itm.Update ();
}
}
web.Close();
}
site.Close();
}

Answer 3

It depends a bit on your available tool set, skills and exact requirements.
There are 2 main ways of pre populating data inside an InfoPath form.
Export the relevant fields as part of the form's publishing process. The fields will then become columns on the Document / Forms library from where you can manipulate them either manually, via a Workflow or wherever your custom code is located.
Directly manipulate the form using code similar to what was provided by Axel_c previously. The big question here is: what will trigger this code? An event receiver on the Document Library, a SharePoint Designer Workflow, a Visual Studio workflow etc?
If you are trying to do this from a SharePoint Designer workflow then have a look at the Workflow Power Pack for SharePoint. It allows C# and VB code to be embedded directly into the workflow without the need for complex Visual Studio development. An example of how to query InfoPath data from a workflow can be found here. If you have some development skills you should be able to amend it to suit your needs.
I also recommend the site www.infopathdev.com, they have excellent and active forums. You will almost certainly find an answer to your question there.

Answer 4

Thanks for the sample code, #axel_c and #Jeff Burt
Below is just the same code from Jeff Burt modified for a file in Document set which I needed. If you don't already have the Document Set reference, you can check out this site on how to grab one:
http://howtosharepoint.blogspot.com/2010/12/programmatically-create-document-set.html
Also, the codes will open the .xml version of the infopath form and not the .xsn template version which you might run into.
Thanks again everyone...
private void ChangeFields(DocumentSet docSet)
{
string extension = "";
SPFolder documentsetFolder = docSet.Folder;
foreach (SPFile file in documentsetFolder.Files)
{
extension = Path.GetExtension(file.Name);
if (extension != ".xml") //check if it's a valid xml file
return;
XmlDocument xml = new XmlDocument();
//Open XML file and load it into XML document, needs to be .xml file not .xsn
using (Stream s = file.OpenBinaryStream())
{
xml.Load(s);
}
//Do your stuff with xml here. This is just an example of setting a boolean field to false.
XmlNodeList nodes = xml.GetElementsByTagName("my:fieldtagname");
foreach (XmlNode node in nodes)
{
node.InnerText = "xyz";
}
//Get binary data for new XML
byte[] xmlData = System.Text.Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(xml.OuterXml);
using (MemoryStream ms = new MemoryStream(xmlData))
{
//Write data to SharePoint XML file
file.SaveBinary(ms);
}
}
}

Answer 5

I had this issue and resolved it with help from Jeff Burt / Axel_c's posts.
I was trying to use the XMLDocument.Save([stream]) and SPItem.File.SaveBinary([stream]) methods to write an updated InfoPath XML file back to a SharePoint library. It appears that XMLDocument.Save([stream]) writes the file back to SharePoint with the wrong encoding, regardless of what it says in the XML declaration.
When trying to open the updated InfoPath form I kept getting the error "a calculation in the form has not been completed..."
I've written these two functions to get and update and InfoPath form. Just manipulate the XML returned from ReadSPFiletoXMLdocument() in the usual way and send it back to your server using WriteXMLtoSPFile().
private System.Xml.XmlDocument ReadSPFiletoXMLdocument(SPListItem item)
{
//get SharePoint file XML
System.Xml.XmlDocument xDoc = new System.Xml.XmlDocument();
try
{
using (System.IO.Stream xmlStream = item.File.OpenBinaryStream())
{
xDoc.Load(xmlStream);
}
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
//put your own error handling here
}
return xDoc;
}
private void WriteXMLtoSPFile(SPListItem item, XmlDocument xDoc)
{
byte[] xmlData = System.Text.Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(xDoc.OuterXml);
try
{
using (System.IO.MemoryStream outStream = new System.IO.MemoryStream(xmlData))
{
item.File.SaveBinary(outStream);
}
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
//put your own error handling here
}
}