InfoPath Dev

Is there a way to have offline infopath forms using web enabled feature. I have loaded the infopath forms through connect outlook from sharepoint 2007 and i an offlinenow, I dont have infopath installed in my machine. I want to submit data, so that it gets synch when i go online. Is there a way i access the forms with browser and submit. or any alternative Thanks kcm

Web-enabling requires the Web (actually a server on the Web to send you HTML for your form). When you are offline, you don't have access so it isn't going to work. For offline scenarios, you need a rich client like InfoPath, Word, Excel or a Windows Application.

Thanks a lot Patrick Halstead, Web enabled i mean browser enabled. Is there a way to work info path forms offline without Info path installed locally. ( Let that be by email forms, forms attached, browser enabled). Can there be a workaround using web services methods to achieve the same scenario. Thanks in advance. Regards kcm

Hi KCM,

Browser-enabled requires SharePoint which is typically installed on a server. It wouldn't make sense to install SharePoint on laptops. Much cheaper to install InfoPath. By the way InfoPath rich client is less expensive up to several hundred "seats" so you're better off buying the rich client if you have less than 250-500 users (range because depends on concurrent users). How many users do you have at home? If it's less than 500, you're probably better off having them install InfoPath (assuming they aren't on Macs).

Web Service is used to submit data from client laptop computers to the cloud (or to a server on the Intranet or Internet). If you don't have connection to the internet, Web Services won't matter. Web services run on servers. For the same reason that SharePoint runs on a server, Web services do too. In fact, SharePoint is basically a collection of Web Services plus a bunch of other goo for rendering web pages.

• If you have more than 500 users
• who won't have acces to Internet, hire a company to build a standalone Winform (that is InfoPath compliant) and submit via E-mail

  who need to fill out InfoPath forms on Mac computers (or PDAs), you should have them log on to the Internet and use Form Services (browser-based forms)
• who can use Windows compters, you should have them log on Internet
• If you have less than 500 users
• who need to fill out InfoPath forms on their computers (offline), just buy InfoPath standalone for $110 or whatever EBay is selling it for, and configure form to submit via email
• if they have access to Terminal Services (online), you could save money by having them use that (but requires online connection)
• if they are on a Mac (and possible offline), you should look at using a different technology (maybe Microsoft Word running on Mac)

Hope that helps more!

:)

Splendid Patrick Halstead, I really appreciate your quick response and your reply. The options were fine. Unfortunately thats the scenario for us. We may not go on buying InfoPath. Thats my concern. Any pointer for the winforms. Thanks kcm

If I use a Form template that has been designed for Forms services(Infopath 2003)/Form Library in SharePoint(WSS&MOSS 2007), and then use that template (.xsn) separately, when not connected to a server, when I hit the submit (which send the data to the SahrePoint Server) what will happen when not connected? Can someone just save the form locally and then submitt it when they return to the office and then submit? Or will a submit from an offline form, remain in some server que, and eventually upload/synch when the user then gets online and connected to the office Form Library? Any suggestions on how a user could fill out a form offline, and then when connected again, have the information submit to the Form Library that has the same template? I am thinking of letting a offline user download a template (.xsn file the same template used for the form library) to fill when offline, but am unsure as to how they submit information or load the information from the form, when reconnected to the the SharePoint site and Form Lbrary the template is based on? My users use Office 2003 by the way.

As far as I can tell, you can save the form for submission at a later time. The form can be opened, completed/updated multiple times. Once a connection to the server is established, you can then submit the form.

Trying to submit the form when working offline will simply throw an error that the form can not be submitted.

Hi,

I have a similar situation.

If the user is online, then they can fill in the form via the browser.  But if they're offline, then they can fill in the form via the client.  But I'd like to know:

1. For offline completion, how do they access the template and where do they access it from?
2. After they complete the form, what do they do?  Do they simply save the form locally on their PC and when they're online again, simply open the form and submit it?
3. Can you direct me to any sites that will give me step by step instructions on how to create a browser enabled form that can also be completed offline (via the client) and then submitted to the library when the user is again online?

Thanx

Yusuf