InfoPath Dev

Hi all,  I have spent all afternoon reading posts on this subject and nothing seems to be written in Laymans terms, the answers seem to be assuming that everyones an expert user, either that or it appears that the answer is not there in the software itself, and it's posters own code 'work arounds' that pose the only solution.

It seems to be a popular request and one that I need also, otherwise what is the point of views really?.... 'OH'  Just to be able to hit an email submit button and have it send a specific view to the email recipient is all I need and yet I am assuming then that this is completely not possible?

I've used form options save and close rules, using the user role function, but this doesn't work as it always shows the default view.  I read with interest a post where someone submitted some code that could be used on an email submit button instead, but as usual it was meant for other coders as it had no actually usgae instructions for non C Programmers!

So, can this be done? or can it definitively NOT be done,?   A definitive answer either way will save me years of my life in trying this blind if nothing else LOL

Thanks, Miss IP xx

Hello, and welcome!

Not knowing what you have tried and not being entirely sure what your final desired outcome is, may I suggest the following:

1. Set your submit options to use rules
2. Set a rule to switch the form to the view you wish to email
3. Set a rule to sumbit the form using your email connection
4. Close the form after submit
5. Set an Open rule to open the form in a different view, if that is your preference

If this is not sufficiently clear, or if you need further help, let me know, okay?

Thanks for your reply Hilary!  So I am assuming this IS possible then? (you didn't say definitively that is was!)

I thought I had tried all the options you mentioned above,  1-3 I have tried to no effect.

Is 4-5 relevent and essential in 1-3 working?

My desired outcome is simple in that I want to output a View (created in Infopath) to a specific email account via an email submit button. 

IE: The form is linked and/or opened from a documet library and it opens in default view for initial entry input (View 1 as default).  The 'defaut view' submit button then sends it to a manager via email who would recieve this form by email with additional fields to enter data on within the form he recieves on email (ie: he gets a different view (VIEW 2) that the origintor did by the time it arrives in his email box..

 ?

Okay, another question -- when you say "output a view" -- I am a little confused by that. When you create an email submit connection in InfoPath 2007 (I'm afraid I don't remember how similar InfoPath 2003 is) you have 2 options: Send the active view of the form in the email or send the form as an attachment to the email. Which are you trying to do? If you are actually sending the form as an attachment, you may want to use user roles and open rules -- that is, set up user roles and put your managers into a particular group and then set a rule with the condition that if the User's Role is equal to Manager (or whatever you have named your group) switch the form's view to view 2. This post may be helpful if you take that approach.

My other idea was that you might be able to switch views and then use the new view as your active view when you email, but I've just tried this in a sample form, and my email arrives blank. It is as if when the view is switched in the submit rules, it isn't considered active yet. This post from the InfoPath team describes a way to get the effect I was looking for, however -- put the controls you only want the manager to see in a hidden section use a helper field that you set to "true" on submit to show or hide the section. You could also use user roles here....