InfoPath Forms Services 2007 - PowerPoint

							InfoPath Forms Services 2007
Chris Beckett
Principal Consultant, Portals and Collaboration
chris.beckett@neudesic.com
Mobile: (206) 965-8257




Presented to Puget Sound SharePoint User Group
December 2008
Presented by Chris Beckett
chris.beckett@neudesic.com
• Founded October 2001, Irvine CA
• Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, Microsoft Business Solutions Partner, Microsoft Managed Partner
• Microsoft National Systems Integrator
• Domestic Offices: Austin, TX; Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; Denver, CO; Houston, TX; Los Angeles, CA; New
  York, NY; Philadelphia, PA; Phoenix, AZ; Redmond, WA; San Diego, CA; Washington, D.C.
• International Offices: Hyderabad, India
• Primary Business Offerings: Business Intelligence, CRM, .NET Custom Application Development, Database
  Design & Optimization, eCommerce, Enterprise Application Integration, Hosting, Portals & Collaboration,
  Security




 2
Agenda
1. Forms Services Overview
2. Demo – Publishing and Viewing a Simple Form to Form Services
3. Differences between InfoPath Rich and Web Forms
4. Advantages of Data Connections
5. Demo – Using a Data Connection Library
6. InfoPath Security Modes and Publishing Alternatives
7. Demo – Farm Data Connection Library / Administrator-Approved Form
8. InfoPath Forms Services Query Parameters
9. Demo – Using Custom Query Parameters with VSTO
10. Mobile Forms
11. Demo – Viewing a Mobile Form
12. Resources
13. Q&A




 3
InfoPath Forms Services Overview
• InfoPath Forms Services is a server technology that makes it possible for users to fill
  out InfoPath forms in a Web browser. Users don't have to have InfoPath installed on
  their computer to fill out this type of form, nor are they required to download anything
  extra from the Web. All they need is access to a browser, such as Windows Internet
  Explorer, Apple Safari, or Mozilla Firefox.
• 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.




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




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




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


 http://www.silversandsassociates.com/InfoPath_Forms_Compatibility_Overview.pdf
 7
Data Connections




• Universal Data Connection V2 Format
• Saved to a special document library called a “Data Connection Library”
• Managed from Central Administration under Application Settings
• Allows browser-based forms to access Web Services securely, even across domains
• Allows submitting forms across Site Collections and Web Applications


• UDC File Authoring Tool
  http://blogs.msdn.com/infopath/archive/2007/02/12/udc-file-authoring-tool.aspx



 8
Demo – Data Connection Libraries
Using data connection libraries to improve InfoPath
    Web Forms.
1.   Create a custom list to hold Trip Class options
2.   Add a receive data connection direction to the
     new list.
3.   Create a Data Connection Library
4.   Create a UDCv2 file pointing to the Trip Class
     list. Upload to the data connection library.
5.   Add a receive data connection to the new UDC
     in the data connection library.
6.   Review form manifest to demonstrate that data
     connections do not hard-code connection
     information into the form.
7.   Republish the form as a Content Type
8.   Create new form library and add new content
     type
9.   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)


ADMINISTRATOR-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 – Farm Data Connection Library / Admin Forms
Use a Farm-Level data connection library with an
    Administrator-Approved Form
1.    Open Central Administration and upload UDC file
      to Farm Data Connection Library
2.    Add a receive data connection to the new UDC in
      the data connection library – specify “Centrally
      Managed connection library”
3.    Republish the form as an Administrator-Approved
      Form
4.    Open Central Administration and upload form
      template. Publish to demo site collection.
5.    Open demo site and display published form
      template and new auto-generated content type.




 11
Invoking InfoPath Forms
• 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
Examples
      –   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

Parameter Name    Description                                                                                 Allowed Values
XmlLocation       Used to open an existing form. The XmlLocation and XsnLocation properties are mutually      A valid url to a form file (.xml) in the
                  exclusive; specifying values for both parameters will result in an error.                   same site collection.
XsnLocation       Used to open a new form based on a form template.                                           A valid URL to a form template file
                                                                                                              (.xsn) published on the same site
                                                                                                              collection.
OpenIn            Used to specify how the form will be rendered.                                              Browser | Client |PreferClient | Mobile
Source            The location to which the user will be redirected when the form is closed. The URL must     A valid URL in the same site collection
                  be in the same site collection or an error will be returned.                                as the form.
Options           DisableSave is the only allowed value. It hides the Save and Save As buttons and            DisableSave
                  disables saving the form when it is rendered in the browser.
SaveLocation      A Save As dialog box is displayed prompting the user for a filename, and then it is saved   Any valid folder location on the site
                  in the specified folder. An error is returned if the specified folder does not exist.       collection.
NoRedirect        Does not redirect to FormServer.aspx for client detection or rendering in the browser.      False (default) or True
                  Default value is false. If true and an XmlLocation or XsnLocation is specified, a File
                  Download dialog is displayed when using Internet Explorer.


 12
Passing Parameters to InfoPath Web Forms / Code-Behind
• Passes any additional query parameters not recognized by InfoPath Forms Services
  to browser form as Input Parameters in the Form Loading event.
      e.g. 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"];
          XPathNavigator xmlNav = CreateNavigator();
          xmlNav.SelectSingleNode("/my:travelRequest/my:purpose“, NamespaceManager).SetValue(purpose);
      }
      Reading Input Parameters for Form Opened in XmlFormView WebPart
      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:
1.    Open the demo site and browse to Form
      Templates
2.    Display the form template using Form Services
      Query Parameters
      …\TravelRequest.xsn?OpenIn=Browser
3.    Switch to the InfoPath Form
4.    Open VSTO by selecting Tools > Programming >
      Loading Event from InfoPath
5.    Add code to copy the “Purpose” parameter to the
      Business Purpose field
6.    Republish the form as an Administrator-Approved
      Form
7.    Open the demo site and create a new form.
8.    Update the URL to add our new custom query
      parameter and refresh the browser
9.    Display how the query parameter became the
      value for the form field




 14
Mobile Forms
Mobile Form Design Differences                    Recommendations
• ASP.NET Controls replaced with ASP.NET          • Used buttons and multiple views to
  Mobile Controls                                   organize controls for small screens
• HTML Tables and CSS not supported by            • Use only supported controls to minimize
  some mobile browsers – visual fidelity is not     rendering inconsistencies
  guaranteed
                                                  • Minimize dynamic data queries that require
• Mobile representation rendered during             round-trips to the server
  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




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




 16
Form Services Administration

                                                             • Should publishing
                                                               browser forms be
                                                               restricted to
                                                               Administrators?
                                                             • Does access to data
                                                               sources need to be
                                                               secure?
                                                             • Is cross-domain access
                                                               to data allowed?




• 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



 17
Resources
•    Microsoft Office Forms Server 2007 SDK
     http://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 2007
     http://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 2007
     http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/formsserver/FX100490391033.aspx

•    Office Developer Center – InfoPath 2007 Resource Center
     http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/office/aa905443.aspx

•    MSDN VSTO – InfoPath Developer Reference for Managed Code
     http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-gb/library/aa941030(VS.80).aspx

•    InfoPath Team Blog
     http://blogs.msdn.com/infopath

•    InfoPath Forms Services 2007 Web Testing Toolkit
•    http://www.codeplex.com/ipfswebtest



    18
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Thank you – Questions and Answers
Chris Beckett
Principal Consultant, Portals and Collaboration
chris.beckett@neudesic.com
Mobile: (206) 965-8257




Presented to Puget Sound SharePoint User Group
December 2008
Presented by Chris Beckett
chris.beckett@neudesic.com