InfoPath Dev

I have developed a infopath form and it has bunch of validation, rules, etc. All that working fine in Dev. Now it's time to move it to QC or Prod. I saved a copy locally and renamed the xsn file (myFormProd). I opened it in Infopath designer 2010 but did not see an option for Main Data Connection to change it to production url. Please suggest how is this done. New to infopath.

 I was hoping for some good answer here and still waiting. I heard about creating form with content type so they can be move between farms or site collection as long as content types exist in the target deployment location. Can anyone suggest anything?

Best practice is to convert your data connections into Universal Data Connections which are externally defined using an XML file in a data connection library. Then, moving from test/dev to production is simpler. You just republish the form and if the UDC is relatively defined, move the UDC from the test/dev site to the production site and edit the contents (in notepad) to fix it up.

What is your main data connection for? Is this a database backed form? That might not be convertible, I forget. You can Export Source Files (File->Publish), and manually modify the manifest.xsf (notepad) to point to the new server. Make sure you then right click the manifest.xsf and design it so you can save/publish.

First approach is easier if it's supported for the type of your main data source.

Thanks. I will try it.

Patrick Halstead:

Best practice is to convert your data connections into Universal Data Connections which are externally defined using an XML file in a data connection library. Then,...

 

How to use this?
Main Data Connection  and other data connections (for lookup fields) in "Sharepoint List Form" and "Workflow Form" types/comppatibility of Infopath form templates are generated OOTB, automatically, as unmodifiable. "Convert to Connection File..." button is disabled on them as well as one cannot create/add this type from .UDCX connection files (or through straight connection wizard).

Answerers to Infopath change Publish Location report about succeeding to change URLs in exported source files (manisfes.xsf and view1.xsl) without mentioning of changing connections at all!

Now I really would like to understand how to use your answer or this answer

Gennady Vanin (Геннадий Ванин, Новосибирск):

 as well as, to understand how to better proceed in order to

• publish infopath listform to sharepoint multiple site's list

 

In order to manually create a copy of Infopath Form template for publishing the same "Sharepoint List Form" to another location, I created TestConn and ClientList lists in my Sharepoint Online site /web1 (https://gennadyvanin.sharepoint.com/Web1/)

In TestConn I created a lookup field for a ClientList ID

I created web2 site (https://gennadyvanin.sharepoint.com/Web2/) in order to create

I followed  Infopath Change Location answer substituting the URLs but the created so template on attempt to publish gives error:

• "The page you selected contains a list that does not exist.  It may have been deleted by another user. ---> List does not exist.
  
  The page you selected contains a list that does not exist.  It may have been deleted by another user"

So, in web2 site I created the same TestConn and ClientList, took notes of their ListID  and substituted respective values of sharePointListID in manifest.xsf, but on publishing I am getting another error:

• "The SOAP response indicates that an error occurred on the server:
  
  Exception of type 'Microsoft.SharePoint.SoapServer.SoapServerException' was thrown.
  <detail><errorstring xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/">Object reference not set to an instance of an object.</errorstring></detail>"
   

So, with exception of very simple case, there is no documented procedure of changing publish location for Infopath forms of "Sharepoint List Form" compatibility