InfoPath Dev

Hi,

I have an InfoPath 2003 form published to a SharePoint 2007 form library. I have a workflow that creates entries in a SharePoint list for each submitted form. Users then process the entries in the corresponding list using a Custom List Form created in SharePoint Designer 2007. When a user updates the list items it triggers a workflows that make updates to the form library for the matching entry. The problem is if the user has the form open after clicking okay on the Custom List Form the workflow will stop immediately with a "document checked out" error. The document check in/out actions do not seem to matter since it doesnt seem to even start the workflow at all.

I am struggling to come up with a solution to this problem. Currently I have published the form to another form library so that I could submit a duplicate just for viewing purposes. I recieve an error that the form was unable to open becuase it was published during a preview. So I saved the form with a different name and republished it again to the second library. Then I relinked the forms and it appears to work. I am wondering what the proper procedure would be when making updates to the orginal form. Should I updated the original save it and then save as a different name. Then publish the forms to their respective libraries so that the templates will match.

Is this the most ideal way to handle the situation? I am hoping someone has a better idea to get around this. I am open to any ideas out there.

Thanks for your time.

Hi--

Hopefully someone else with more SharePoint workflow experience can answer your first question. As to your second -- when you update your form, open it in design mode and, if needed, save it locally. Make your changes to the form, then re-publish it. If the form is used in more than one library, you may want to publish it as a content type, then set up the libraries that use it to use content types. That way you only have to publish it once. Of course, if you use a form in more than one library and the form is supposed to submit to the library it is opened from, you'll have to add some submit rules and multiple submit connections for the form.

hi

if the form is opened in infopath client, it is automatically checked out to the user, that is why the work flow stops running.

if the form is opened in browser, this situation does not arise

Hi,

Thanks for the response.

I played around with publishing as a Content Type last week. I was not very successful in getting it to work properly. I created a test form library and published a copy of my current form to that library. Then I updated the settings to allow management of content types. I republished my form as a content type and added it to the library. When I submit a form based on the new content type none of the promoted columns data appears. The form is correct. I did it this way because I need to still be able to access the production form libraries data. I have views setup for requesters to review submitted requests. I also have workflows that are triggered based off of those fields. It is very critical to have access to previous versions promoted data.

Hi Qazi,

Unfortunately my company currently doesnt allow browser based infopath forms. I am in the process of looking into getting this changed. Thanks for the reply.