InfoPath Dev

I've followed the tutorials on here for doing cascading drop downs with a flat XML file.  I've tried secondary data sources (adjacent lists) to pull my data, I've tried manually inputting the list data; I've tried it all and am at a loss (and obviously learning as I go LOL).  I've seen a couple of posts that say that a SharePoint list cannot do what I'm looking for.  Is this true? 

I've downloaded a couple of templates for cascading drop downs in a repeating table and have that just about down.  What I'm seeing is that from my Main data source, I cannot add a repeating group, I can only add person or groups "groups" and not just a regular repeating group. If I go to my secondary data source (populated with language data), I can add the repeating table and get it all the way I like it, but cannot add the second corresponding drop down to the same repeating table.  I'm guessing that my problem is that I don't know where this second dropdown would store the data on submission.  We'll end up with around 10,000 employees in this list with any where up to 5+ associated scores (at max) for an undetermined percentage of them.

Does anyone have any advice?

Thanks... Ed

Hi Ed,

I need more information. If you design a repeating table with a text field that is bound to a dropdown then that dropdown can be filtered based on another dropdown. Those dropdown data sets can be secondary data sources. Certainly, ShP lists will work. XML data sources will work. No problem. I'm not sure what issue you have, but I'm guessing it has something to do with how you have set up your schema and how you are binding your text fields. You can upload your XSN to this site - see Control Panel, and then add a link to it so we can view it.

More after I see your schema and get a better description of the expected behavior (and what the actual behavior) is.

Thanks!

Ed, I'm a little confused by your thread, so bear with me.  I may have missed it, but I don't think you ever acdtually said what the goal was.  You mentioned details about how you're trying to build it, but did you ever actually say what the end goal was?  YOu kept referring to wanting a repeating table, but I'm not sure why.  Let us know if this was the goal?

I assume that the whole point of this is to build an INPUT FORM for inserting new linguists into a list by utilizing an list that has been converted to InfoPath list forms and that you want to make it more automated/efficient for entering linguists by providing two cascading dropdowns for each entry.  You want these dropdown to be populated with pre-set data: one with languages (static, I assume), and one with the numbers 1 through 12 for the language score. 

I don't see why these would be cascading dropdowns, though, unless the purpose is to view data, not input data, so please clarify that first.  There is nothing to cascade in those dropdowns unless you're looking at a known set of linguists who already have been put into a database (your list).  That's why I'm confused.  If you're inserting data, then why do you need cascading dropdowns?  The language and score are new for each new user.  How is the language and score related?  Did you mean to say that different languages have different scales?  If not, then I don't see a reason for the cascading dropdowns.  Maybe this is also why you've been struggling with it.

Some points to note:

1. InfoPath custom list forms cannot have repeating fields like form library forms.  You can't add a repeating group at all.  So, if you intended to have a repeating table for associating multiple languages/scores with one person (one list item), then that isn't supported.  It's not just that InfoPath can't submit rows of a repeating table into a list as separates (it can't without code), but it's the fact that InfoPath list forms are tied to the list schema, and SharePoint lists don't have repeating fields like this.  There isn't a way to store multiple languages (and multiple scores) all in one field as if they were separate entities.
2. However, if you're ok with there being one list entry per language per person, then you can use an awesome trick for submitting mutliple list items from one InfoPath list form using repeating SECTIONS.  This can only be done when initially creating the list form - it's an option to allow multiple submissions, and it converts the root list item group to a repeating group.  YOu then create one form layout within your repeating section for submitting one item, but when the user opens the form, they can insert as many new sections they want.  Each section is a replica, and when submitted, each section becomes a separate list item.
3. You can attach your XSN to your post if you want us to see it, but we can't connect to your system, so we'd have to rebuild the data connections and data sources.
4. The dropdowns should be populated with simple SharePoint lists.  Create a custom list that only has the default Title field.  Change the Title field's name to Language or something like that, then populate the table, create a data connection to receive from this list, and connect a TEXT FIELD bound to a DROPDOWN to this external data source.  Do the same for the language scores unless you don't find those important enough to turn into a list.  For 1-12, I would just create the dropdown (again bound to a regular text field) and manually enter the choices.  The only reason to create a SharePoint list for this is if those values were going to have additional metadata associated with them.  Same goes for the language, but when there are 40, I recommend just doing a list.
5. Only in 2007 can you not do cascading dropdowns from SharePoint data connections.  In 2010, it works great and is awesome.  You can do two new things: filtered data connections (that's what cascading dropdowns are) and parameterized queries (this lets you set a query parameter before retrieving data, which is much more efficient than downloading all data and filtering client side)

Thank you guys for your replies.  By the way, I'm using SP2010 and InfoPath 2010. 

From reading them, perhaps I was misleading when I mentioned cascading drop downs.  Each employee can have 1 or more languages associated with them (just was each of us speaks one or more languages).  For our linguists, we test them on each of the languages.  So ideally, I would present 1 drop down for language (as we all speak at least one language) and 1 associated drop down for a language score.  From there, I'd like to be able to dynamically add more "pairs" of drop downs to allow selection of other languages that the person may speak.  So in theory, a "super linguist" may speak 10 languages which would require 10 associated scores.  We use an independent testing service which is the 1-12 scoring system.

warrtalon, I believe your point to note #1 is what I'm seeing.  But I can't get the repeating tables to work at all.  I did see the repeating sections, but that actually repeated all of the 40 or so languages at run time instead of allowing the little "add" link that the tables did...

Anyway, as soon as I get to work tomorrow morning, I'll clean up the superfluous data connections and post my XSN file to the site. 

Thank you sooooo much guys for helping out...

Ed

emcandrew:

warrtalon, I believe your point to note #1 is what I'm seeing.  But I can't get the repeating tables to work at all.  I did see the repeating sections, but that actually repeated all of the 40 or so languages at run time instead of allowing the little "add" link that the tables did...

Actually, I believe we're talking about two different things.  I'm talking about repeating fields in the main data source while you're talking about repeating fields in the secondary data source.  Your data connection to the languages is a secondary data source.  You can show this data in a repeating table or repeating section, but neither is helpful to you.  You are only using the languages to populate a dropdown, but that dropdown will be in your main data source (a simple text field).  When you choose an item in this dropdown, it writes that value to the text field in your main data source, but it has no effect on the secondary data source.  The 2ndary data source is only there to provide a list of choices.  If you've been trying to add repeating tables using 2ndary data sources, then that is a complete non-starter.  2ndary data does not get stored in the form - it stays where it resides and is only shown in the form at the time the form is opened (and when the data source is queried).

The repeating section thing I'm talking about is completely different.  This would be the SharePointListItem_RW group in your main data source.  It's likely non-repeating in yours, but it would need to be repeating in order to submit multiple items at once.  This can only be done at form creation.  I can walk you through it if you want to do that.

Yeah, I figured you would need more than one language per person, but that's the big choice you have to make.  InfoPath list forms cannot have repeating data like this, so you need to decide if you're going to be ok with having a separate list item per language per person or not.  If not, then you're going to have to create a non-repeating table with 12 rows and a header that contains one column for language and another for score.  That way, you're not dealing with repeating items, and anyone can have 1 or more languages.  Each language and score would be its own piece of independent data (separate field for each), but this would allow you to have multiple languages for one person (one list item).

OK, trying to attach my file... I can't find anything resembling a control panel.  Still working on it though.

http://www.wwlr.com/employee_upload.xsn

Grrr... Been in IT for 25 years and can't figure out how to attach the xsn directly to the post.

warrtalon:

Actually, I believe we're talking about two different things.  I'm talking about repeating fields in the main data source while you're talking about repeating fields in the secondary data source.  Your data connection to the languages is a secondary data source.  You can show this data in a repeating table or repeating section, but neither is helpful to you.  You are only using the languages to populate a dropdown, but that dropdown will be in your main data source (a simple text field).  When you choose an item in this dropdown, it writes that value to the text field in your main data source, but it has no effect on the secondary data source.  The 2ndary data source is only there to provide a list of choices.  If you've been trying to add repeating tables using 2ndary data sources, then that is a complete non-starter.  2ndary data does not get stored in the form - it stays where it resides and is only shown in the form at the time the form is opened (and when the data source is queried).

The repeating section thing I'm talking about is completely different.  This would be the SharePointListItem_RW group in your main data source.  It's likely non-repeating in yours, but it would need to be repeating in order to submit multiple items at once.  This can only be done at form creation.  I can walk you through it if you want to do that.

Yeah, I figured you would need more than one language per person, but that's the big choice you have to make.  InfoPath list forms cannot have repeating data like this, so you need to decide if you're going to be ok with having a separate list item per language per person or not.  If not, then you're going to have to create a non-repeating table with 12 rows and a header that contains one column for language and another for score.  That way, you're not dealing with repeating items, and anyone can have 1 or more languages.  Each language and score would be its own piece of independent data (separate field for each), but this would allow you to have multiple languages for one person (one list item).

I've tried it both ways, main data source and secondary.  Truth be told, it doesn't actually need to be a secondary list to populate the drop downs.  I can manually set them just as easy.  The only reason I'm even using a secondary source for this is for the purpose of trying to figure out how to creation this corresponding relationship and "dynamically" add additional languages at run time.

I don't understand this reply.  The issue here is not the dropdowns. That part is supremely easy.  I thought the issue was the rest of what I wrote.  The whole repeating data thing is not about the dropdowns - we're talking about entering multiple languages for one person.  The dropdowns do nothing except give you a language and score to choose - that is a non-issue.

What do you mean by "dynamically" add additional language?  The languages are going to come from the data source for your dopdown.  They cannot be dynamically added to the dropdown while the form is in run-time.  The data source for the dropdown - whether it's an XML file, database, SharePoint list, or manual entry - will always be what drives the dropdown.  It will not change dynamically during run-time unless the data source for that dropdown changes while the form is open AND if you continually re-query the data source while filling out the form.

I may be missing the whole point, because I gave you a long answer, but you only responded to the part that I didn't think was even an issue.

I'm sorry... I'm very green in Infopath.

 Yes, the drop downs are extremely easy (or should be). I guess I'm not really looking to "add languages" dynamically at runtime as I actually add them before hand.  But I'm looking for the ability to allow my end user to dynamically add the repeating rows that contain the two drop downs so that they can add or remove their selection of applicable languages as needed. I guess the core problem is that I simply cannot get the two drop downs into a relationship were my user can add additional drop downs based on the individuals needs (at runtime), in the fashion that repeating tables allows.  The data sources are really irrelevant, I can do this all in my Main source or in a secondary if needed.

Does that help at all?  It very well may be that we're (me) over thinking or over complicating somthing that is easy?

emcandrew:

But I'm looking for the ability to allow my end user to dynamically add the repeating rows that contain the two drop downs so that they can add or remove their selection of applicable languages as needed. I guess the core problem is that I simply cannot get the two drop downs into a relationship were my user can add additional drop downs based on the individuals needs (at runtime), in the fashion that repeating tables allows. 

Yes, but I directly touched on this exact subject a few replies ago, and you didn't respond to it.  I explained in great detail that you can't have repeating tables in InfoPath list forms, and I gave you two alternative methods.  Please go back and read them, because I understood and answered this for you already.  There is no relationship that the dropdowns need to have or be in - none of this is related to the dropdowns.  It's all about repeating rows of data in a list form, which is not possible unless you use the repeating sections I mentioned.

If you made this into a form library template, then you would be able to add a repeating table like this.  That is one of the major differences with list forms.

OK cool... I'll give it a re-read.  I'm sorry.

To attach a file, click Reply, then switch to the Options tab. You'll find the attachment control there.

My apologies for the delay in replying.  Our office was closed due to inclement weather.

I've tried the repeating sections trick outlined earlier.  I created a new list and selected the option to "Manage multiple list items with this form".  Perhaps I'm still failing to understand how to utilize this properly, but it seems to want to repeat all of my sections/controls when the user "Adds" additional languages?

Attached is a template on what I would like to do, but within a SharePoint list. I believe the core problem is that I can't add repeating groups to my Main data connection in a list as I understand that SharePoint doesn't support this.  I don't understand any way to work around it but it seems such a simple need that I find it hard to believe that SharePoint/InfoPath can't facilitate it in some fashion.

emcandrew:

My apologies for the delay in replying.  Our office was closed due to inclement weather.

I've tried the repeating sections trick outlined earlier.  I created a new list and selected the option to "Manage multiple list items with this form".  Perhaps I'm still failing to understand how to utilize this properly, but it seems to want to repeat all of my sections/controls when the user "Adds" additional languages?

Attached is a template on what I would like to do, but within a SharePoint list. I believe the core problem is that I can't add repeating groups to my Main data connection in a list as I understand that SharePoint doesn't support this.  I don't understand any way to work around it but it seems such a simple need that I find it hard to believe that SharePoint/InfoPath can't facilitate it in some fashion.

Will qRules do this by chance?

Hi,

I looked at your template and have tried to achieve the same functionality using a SharePoint list. I might be wrong in understanding what the real goal is, but here are some steps you can try, and then let me know if that's what you want.

1. Add a data connection to your SharePoint list > set it to automatically retrieve when the form opens.
   
2. Right-click on your first drop-down list box (language) and select properties.
3. In the List box choices section, select 'Get choices from an external data source' - the data source would be your SharePoint list; Entries is the repeating node from your list, Value/Display Name should correspond to the language field/column.
4. Do the same for the second drop-down (score) pointing to the corresponding score column on your list.

Doing the above, your main data source is being populated from your SharePoint list; the values you select will be stored in your form.

You'll be needing qRules if:

• You wish to copy the items from your SharePoint list into your main data source to store all the items in your form (CopyTable command)
  
• You wish to be able to submit and update your SharePoint list items using the form (SubmitToSharePointList command)
• Anything else you wish to do that SharePoint/InfoPath won't allow without code - let us know if there's any!

Hope that helps... again, please let me know if I'm misunderstanding.

Cheers!