Do I need Infopath installed locally to edit forms in a workflow for sharepoint?
Authoring InfoPath forms
If a person needs to create a new Infopath form or needs to change the layout of the existing form one needs to use InfoPath client.
The form layout and data structure is saved as XML so one might try to edit it but I would recommend you not to mess with it.
Filling forms
In order to fill the forms there are two scenarios:
User fills a form via web browser (InfoPath client is not required)
User fills a form via InfoPath client
The first option does sound interesting but limitations do apply:
You must purchase MOSS Enterprise license (for difference between SharePoint editions check this: overview or details here). There is an option to purchase a dedicated Forms Server.
Infopath as web form does not support all the features as the Infopath client form
Although web forms sound very appealing, my experience taught me that most important features are not available in the web edition. Check here for detailed list.
Default workflow forms
Your original question is not clear, but if you are talking about editing default workflow forms like Approval workflow form (which is InfoPath) there is no easy way to do it.
You won't need InfoPath as long as your forms are browser-enabled and you are running on MOSS (to use the InfoPath Forms Services).
If you are on plain WSS, then you will need InfoPath installed to fill out forms.
I don't think this is necessary if the forms are stored in a SharePoint document library.
Do you mean to edit individual forms, or to design a form?
Yes you do, it will be rendered as HTML in the site, but to edit it, you need a copy of infopath.
If you are just a user, and it's a web form, then you do not need to install the software, Otherwise, you should. It depends on what form the InfoPath display.
If you are a developer, you must install it locally so as to edit the template and deploy it.
Related
Currently I have created a travel request form using Sharepoint 2013 and Infopath 2013 that once you submit the form, it creates a line item on the list as well as workflows to their managers for approval.
Once the managers have approved the form, on the form itself there is a field called "Approver" and "Approved On" that shows when and who have approved the form.
I want the users to be able to open the form and have a button to export the approved form to PDF. Is this possible?
Thanks for all the help!
You may want to move this to http://sharepoint.stackexchange.com, a sister site of StackOverflow.
What I always recommend (as I work in the InfoPath / PDF business) is to attach a simple workflow to the associated forms library using a workflow tool of your choice (SharePoint Designer, Nintex Workflow, VS Workflows).
Make sure you export the relevant InfoPath status field to SharePoint so you can read the column's content in your workflow. In your workflow check if the status field is 'Approved' and if it is run a PDF Conversion action.
Now, for the big trick, the 'PDF Conversion' Action. No such action comes with SharePoint out of the box, but it is available from third parties. Google for the appropriate search terms, e.g. "Batch convert infopath using workflow" and you will find several solutions. (Disclaimer, I cannot link directly as one of the solutions you will find is one that I worked on)
Probably it will be interesting for you to use already existing business solution - PDF Share Forms. It is PDF form integration to SharePoint with bi-directional data synchronization (form field contents synchronizes with SharePoint columns automatically both directions). Support for archival, versioning, form flattening, workflows. Filled in form could be sent to a person, who filled it in, etc. www.pdfshareforms.com for more info
(I work for PDF Share Forms)
My client uses InfoPath form libraries. They want to phase out the use of InfoPath all together and replace it some alternative.
My idea is to implement custom forms for the same and host it within SharePoint, so that the users can have a web based alternative, in place of client application such InfoPath Form Filler.
What can be the best strategy to achieve this?
If you're sure they want to use browser forms, I'd start by investigating Forms9 and Nintex. I think Qdabra did a webinar on getting your data out of your existing InfoPath forms.
However it might be smart not to rush, since InfoPath is not disappearing for several years. New options are in the works. Microsoft is working on native solutions such as Forms On SharePoint Lists that might meet your client's needs in a year or two. Also Formotus (my company) has app-based form filling solutions and has announced the intent to continue superseding InfoPath, so the right solution may come from there too.
Recommended reading: My blog series on InfoPath Alternatives
http://www.formotus.com/category/infopath-alternatives
I don't have an understanding on how the whole InfoPath product works. I know it can save data to Sharepoint. But here are a few bits of information I'm confused about:
If someone saves an Infopath form to SPS, is the entire form saved, or just the data?
How would an approval scenario work?
My employer wants to use as little code as possible for each form. They are currently using PKI that requires the end user to submit the form (to Access DB), sign the form, then save the form. I know this isn't ideal, but I don't have enough background to tell them what to do instead.
You could create Infopath form templates (*.xsn files) using the InfoPath 2007 form designer which is both the layout and logic (code) for the form. These forms could then be deployed into a site on a SharePoint server (that has InfoPath Form Services, which is a component of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) 2007).
After all of the above, any user that has access to the aforementioned SharePoint site could fill the form and submit it. And typically the filled-in data would be saved as an xml file into an InfoPath Form library on the same SharePoint site.
I didn't understand what you mean by PKI. Hope that helps...
InfoPath Form Services on MSDN
You can digitally sign your forms, section by section. This capability is built-in
Regarding showing/hiding field specific to different security roles - you can use views in InfoPath, each view targeting a different person
how to render infopath webpage in sharepoint.
I have designed the MS office infopath form, & stored in the my sharepoint site document library, (in fact i created new one). But when i want to open that form it direct redirect in MS office infopath with running form. Which i don't want. I want to open form in sharepoint site. How it is possible . Please guide me ....
The ability to display InfoPath natively in a browser is part of InfoPath Forms Services, which is only provided bundled with MOSS Enterprise, not MOSS Standard or the free WSS.
Forms Server is available as a separate license altogether as well, but there's no other mechanism to display InfoPath forms in a browser without rolling your own solution, which would be a rather complex undertaking.
Did you publish the form to a forms library or did you simply upload it? In order for Forms Services to render a form it must be published using InfoPath's File>>Publish command.
For those using SharePoint or MOSS 2007 specifically. How do you handle forms? Like say you want a form that submits contact information. I don't have this in production yet but I'm currently creating a list for the form that I need and then modifying the list add item form as needed. I'm not sure how this will translate to a public anonymous user environment. Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Curtis Shirley
Forms can be anything from custom lists (lists with your own fields added), custom ASPX pages (ASP.NET development), to InfoPath Forms Services (MOSS Enterprise only).
With lists you can also create your own new and edit forms if you don't like the out-of-the-box look/feel (SharePoint Designer can help you with this).
If you want to prevent spam with anonymous users, I recommend a CAPTCHA approach. Here are 3 to look at (we have implemented the first one recently):
http://nanddeepnachan.blogspot.com/2008/06/captcha-for-sharepoint-blog.html
http://blogs.msdn.com/pranab/archive/2008/12/09/sharepoint-2007-moos-wss-custom-captcha-antispam-field.aspx
http://captcha.biz/doc/asp.net/2.0/asp.net-captcha-sharepoint.html
The issue is really tricky. For a public facing site that must handle spam and usability, it may be best to code a custom form. It is not a major to host a custom form in SharePoint and there is information on getting code behind to work nicely.
Now that I think about it, the Community Kit for SharePoint has had to solve some of the issues for comments on blog posts.