InfoPath Dev

Hi there

I have a repeating table with 3 columns with text boxes in them. I would like the information in these text boxes written to a text file everytime the users types in information to these text boxes and they are updated. Is this possible? I am a newbie to infopath, so i hope what i have written makes sense!

Thank you in advance

This would almost certainly require full trust and managed code. Instead of writing to a text file why don't you just save the form as XML text? Either way, writing to the local hard disk requires full trust.

You would put the code into the onAfterChange event of the row to save the form as XML (probably over the previous form).

---------------
Matt Faus
InfoPath Dev Texas

Hi Matt,

Thanks for your reply. Maybe i'm going about this the wrong way, and maybe i haven't explained myself fully. I've designed a form which is pretty much finished, and has a repeating table with text boxes in it for the user to insert a brief description of events on a regular basis. 2 other users are connected to the network and i wish for these other two users to "see" or "have" the information inserted in this repeating table, everytime it is updated (i.e. everytime a new row is added and information entered into the text box). I think im going about it the wrong from the sounds of it! Could you or someone else please point me in the wrong direction?]

Thanks,

Hi there,

Assuming that you want all the users to simultaneously update and view the repeating table data,I think u need to use a data base in this situation(may be a Access database would do).

Also design a form which queries the database to populate the columns in the repeating table.

And also provide an option to submit data to the database.
You can also provide a refresh button so that the other users can view the latest data entered in the database by some other user.

Before going ahead with this solution,ask MFaus for his master opinion.
:))

Regards,
Abhishek.

Haha, "master opinion", thanks for the compliment, but I don't think I deserve it!

I also agree with Abhishek. If you're trying to do realtime data flow you will want to use a database, instead of a text file. You should be able to get much more performance this way.

This is what I see happening, you have two sections: The top section is a repeating table that displays what is stored in the database (several rows) and the bottom section is one row that you can submit. There is a Submit button below the bottom section that when pressed 1) submits the row to the database 2) refreshes the top section to view what's in the database.

Now, for the "viewing" form you would just setup a similiar top section and refresh the data from the database on a certain interval, like every 500 milliseconds, or however fast you need it.

This sounds like a pretty cool project, I hope it works well! Let us know how it goes.

---------------
Matt Faus
InfoPath Dev Texas

Thank you Matt and Abhishek for your responses,

The form i am designing is acually being used on a tablet PC, wherby the user enters data into the form (comments, and certain numerical data). The user who enters this data is in essence writing down a report "on the fly". In other words the user is monitoring some type of data and when it updates, he writes down his comments and the values. I wish for people to be able to monitor this information real time, or on a update on a regular basis at least. Therefore, you see, the user is not "selecting data" from a database, he is rather entering descriptions and data as he goes. I've tried using data connections to submit data, but i only have the choice of submitting it to a web source, a share point library, or as an email message! I feel like im well and truely stuck! Help please!

What do you mean by "the user is monitoring some type of data and when it updates...."?
Do u mean to say that
1)rows are being added in the repeating table by some other source
2)And there is a comment field and some numerical data fields in each of repeating table's rows.
3)User1 verifies the row details and enters his comments and numeric data in the corresponding row fields.
4)User2 and User3 should be able to view all the rows along with User1's comments (and numerical data) at real time.

If what I understand is right,then do as we have said above. Place all the row details in the database,once User1 enters his comments and clicks Save.
User2 and User3 should be able to view the updated rows along with User1's comments once the form refreshes.

regards,
Abhishek Keshav

Hi MFaus,
How do we refresh the data from the database on a certain interval, like every 500 milliseconds, or so?

Where to trigger or invoke the webservice i.e where to write the code for it??

Can u throw some more light on it?
regards,
Abhishek

I would write those records to a separate sharepoint list that everyone has access to.  They would then be able to monitor that list for updates.  I would include a link to the form so they could access the full details with a single click.