InfoPath Dev

Im have an infopath form, that is utilizing a list, that emails out the xml file to the users, and records the data into a list as progress occurs.

 Im running into an issue with users that reply back, it just goes to email, but Id like the reply's to somehow be recorded back to the list's history.

 I can redo what Ive done in an XML form, that doesnt rely on the list, and utilize qrules to post the information to the list if that is the right direction, but Id like to know if there is an option to give the users the capability to just type in the form that is emailed to them, and they submit from their email, or change the reply to, to have sharepoint recieve it, and update the information. The point of the solution is for project management, and Id like it to be as simple as possible.

 What do you guys recommend, what have you seen for something like this in your experience??

Thanks, 

Tom

Hi Tom-

Unfortunately, the user must click a button in the InfoPath form, which calls the qRules command to map the data into the SharePoint list. There is no feature in qRules to allow sending an email to SharePoint and have SharePoint parse this into the SharePoint list.

Can you explain the process, step by step, so we can understand how the form is opened, how the list items are added, etc? Thanks.

User logs into sharepoint, and fills out their project, subtask, or milestone
clicks submit and posts to list, and emails relavant users
relavant users respond via email, but no record of this transaction ever occurs

So, can we send the user a link to the form? if so which function would give the relavant URL to that list item? (have used envoded absolute URL in other scenerio's, but not available within infopath without the use of workflow.

I dont want to use workflow since it would send out 2 emails, and would be confusing. Maybe writing the xml to a doc library would work fine, and I could just reference encoded absolute URL to the XML in the doc library would work, but Its possible that the users would overwrite the list item with stale data if I had just updated the list, since that would be 2 entry points to update the list item. So this option isnt perfect.

It would be perfect if I could reference the list item's URL, and have that attached to the top of the email, similar to what your forum does. This way if another user was using the same list item, it would just warn you that you are about to overwrite other users data.

 Let me know what you think.

tberch:

User logs into sharepoint, and fills out their project, subtask, or milestone
clicks submit and posts to list, and emails relavant users
relavant users respond via email, but no record of this transaction ever occurs

So, can we send the user a link to the form? if so which function would give the relavant URL to that list item? (have used envoded absolute URL in other scenerio's, but not available within infopath without the use of workflow.

I dont want to use workflow since it would send out 2 emails, and would be confusing. Maybe writing the xml to a doc library would work fine, and I could just reference encoded absolute URL to the XML in the doc library would work, but Its possible that the users would overwrite the list item with stale data if I had just updated the list, since that would be 2 entry points to update the list item. So this option isnt perfect.

It would be perfect if I could reference the list item's URL, and have that attached to the top of the email, similar to what your forum does. This way if another user was using the same list item, it would just warn you that you are about to overwrite other users data.

 Let me know what you think.

I think your third paragraph might be the best option. You submit the xml to a form library, the users are directed to open that XML, and they can edit the list items from there. If the list items were updated thru the SharePoint list, that's not a problem, just make sure that your form is using the RefreshSharePointListItems command in qRules so that the form (in the form library) gets refreshed (on load) with the latest values from the SharePoint list. Make sense?

 

It does, Ill give that a shot!! Thanks!