InfoPath Dev

I have a problem with browser-based InfoPath and our SharePoint workflow...

I would like to create an InfoPath Taskform that gives the users the possiblity to select optional workflow members. What I mean is sometimes the workflow doesn't need to go through all office functions. However, if the form is submitted with empty contact selectors it will cause the workflow to error. I already tried to catch the empty string(s) in the workflow code, but it seems the problem happens before or when the information is transfered to SharePoint. Does anybody know what is going wrong ?

I also tried to prepopulate the contact selector with the current user information. In case the Contact Selector is empty, fill it with the Current User and then submit to SharePoint. That did not work either because I couldn't find a way to set the focus on the Contact Selector before filling the Contact Selector fields.

I would appreciate any kind of help! - I'm banging my head on my desk and it's starting to hurt. :o)   

Thanks

In your InfoPath form, wouldn't it be possible to make the fields required?

I think that's possibly the easiest solution, to force users to fill in that field.

Good luck!

I can do it and did it for 90% of the contact selectors in our workflows.

However, if the workflow doesn't need to go to "finance" for example, I would get hunderts of phone calls with the question: "Why do I have to enter a person for "finance" if my case doesn't require finance to see it". So, I try to find a way to make the finance department an "optional" contact selector that can be left empty...

Thanks for any ideas  

 Why don't you set up a rule such that, on form submit, if the field is blank, you populate it with some dummy data?

Exactly right, have you done it yet?

I tried that, I can prepopulate the contact selector with a dummy name on formload, but I was unsuccessfull to fill in the contact selector fields on submit (or even through a simple button click event). For some reason it only works if I can set the focus to the 'DisplayName' field and then fill in the data. The next problem seems to be that you cannot set the focus to a field in a browser-based form. I'm going in circles here.

Thanks 

I've implemented a similar rule (to set a blank field to a value before submitting) on other forms, just not with the contact selector. The Contact Selector is a bit difficult in the browser, some people avoid it altogether.

On your code have you try

if(thefield != null)

{ //do something

}

?

ISSUE RESOLVED !!

if(thefield != null)

{ //do something

}  

That does not do it, because it will always throw an error and stops the workflow process if there is no value transfered.

BUUUTTTT, I found out the way for Contact Selectors to "except" empty fields and still submit. 

It will always throw an error if empty, therefore:

try

{

variable = GetContactsFromXML(xxxTaskAfterProperties[xxx_FORM_DATA_KEY]):

}

catch (Exception) { }

Of course, from now on you always have to ask if variable empty or not to do something with the user(s), but that finally did the trick.

I hope it helps someone.