InfoPath Dev

Guys, I have to create about 10 different forms for Sales/Marketing. We have 3 stages of SharePoint (Test, QC and Production). I noticed in the past when I customized a form on list or library it is hard to move it from Dev to Test or QC or Prod. And I had to repeat lots of my work. What is the best approach? I am open to form Library. Need little more guidance on how to properly setup form library. Do I need to create one global for library for a farm or site collection? Or each form gets its own library. For example, Survey Form, Marketing Status Form, New Customer Presentation Form, Travel Form. Now do they get their own form library since they will all have separate set/sets of content type (and even some local columns). Most of these will have a field for attachment (and sometime attachment is required). I just read a bunch of lengthy blogs on these and came out confused. Wondering if someone could clear things up in plain English. LOL Thanks ST

spHouston:

Guys,
I have to create about 10 different forms for Sales/Marketing.

We have 3 stages of SharePoint (Test, QC and Production).
I noticed in the past when I customized a form on list or library it is hard to move it from Dev to Test or QC or Prod. And I had to repeat lots of my work.

What is the best approach?

I am open to form Library. Need little more guidance on how to properly setup form library. Do I need to create one global for library for a farm or site collection?

Or each form gets its own library. For example, Survey Form, Marketing Status Form, New Customer Presentation Form, Travel Form. Now do they get their own form library since they will all have separate set/sets of content type (and even some local columns).

Most of these will have a field for attachment (and sometime attachment is required).

I just read a bunch of lengthy blogs on these and came out confused.
Wondering if someone could clear things up in plain English.

LOL Thanks ST

 

I believe that you should keep Infopath form templates (.XSN files) in a form library and forms with data (.XML files) in Document library

In using libraries I found the most helpful  to me:

•  Jo-Anne Alfafara's Side-by Side versioning with Content Types

 The determining all other distinctions (manageability, flexibility, scopes, relations, etc.) difference between a sharepoint list  and a library is in the way of storing data.

 Infopath form of type "Sharepoint List Form" (you can check the type in Compatibility < Form Options < Info <  File, on ribbon of Infopath Designer 2010) is unmodifiable (and I'd say unmanageable, provided OOTB), stores data directly in a sharepoint list, any control (like a textbox) in an IP form is bound to a field in a list. The list items are stored in Sharepoint database (again, I'd say stealthily) while document library stores actual XML files in controllable by developer ways and locations.    

But Infopath developers forgot to provide any means of moving the "Sharepoint List Form" types of Infopath forms from development (or Testing) stage/machine to Production.  See Infopath change Publish Location
IMO, this and other restrictions (in-built uncontrollable codeless conveniences by design), read e.g.:

•  Building SharePoint Applications with InfoPath 2010 (Part 1 of 2)
• InfoPath 2010 and SharePoint 2010 – List Forms vs Library Forms
• etc.
  

make next to impossible to implement and maintain Infopath "Sharepoint List Form" forms for any serious production cases 

 

Thank you Gennady Vanin. I really liked the detailed answer. I knew the differences but weren't sure which one will have more benefits. Thanks buddy.