InfoPath Dev

I have a form need to be sent to a group of people for approval. I created a data connection to submit data "as an e-mail message". There are only two options to send the form, "send the active view" or "send the form as attachment". 

(1) Approvers cannot do anything on the active view other than notified there is a submittion. No "send the active view" is not an option for my case.

(2) Approvers can approve the form when it sent as attachment.  Here is my problem, after one of them approved the form, the approval information is submitted to the sharepoint site. However, the attachment is never updated. Approvers do not know the latest status of the form, did they approved it in the past or has someone else already approved it. The only way they can find out is to go to the site.

Is there a way that I can send the form as a link (as the workflow does. I do not not use workflow and just use the rules to do all actions I need) to the approvers or are there other solusions to my problem. Thank you. 

hello,

i think you should just send them and active view and link to the infopath form, if you want to go for a code free solution. on submit button, submit it to sharepoint doc lib and mail the users active view + link in the subject

Thanks for your response. I did what you suggested by created a workflow in the sharepoint designer. It did what I need.

However, I really like the way the "attachment" option does, nice UI and can be processed with your mail client (do not need to open the form from sharepoint site) if approvers can get the live status :)

i dont think that is possible, however i would like if some body disagrees with me and provides a solution

Now, I have another form which I need to send the links to approvers. This time, I do not want to use workflow. Can you tell me how to mail users the active view (I know how) + link in the subject (do not know how). Many thanks.

well you will need to have a field in your infopath form that contains the link to your infopath form and in the submit by email specify that field as the subject.

Would you please give me more information on how to "have a field in your infopath form that contains the link". I seems have problem to find any data source or function can provide me the link to the current form. Thanks again. 

well you know which doc library you are going to submit, you know what is going to be the file_name, combining both of them into a field should give you the form link.

Thank you a lot for your help.