InfoPath Dev

I am having problems with binding, rules and properties coming up missing. I create a rule, save, verify the rule is in place and working, but at random, the rule disappears. I close the form, and shut down Infopath, restart Infopath, open form, and the rule is back. This is happening with binding, rules and properties I set. Interesting thing is, I get an error saying the binding is not correct on a group or field, I check and sure enough there is no binding. I shut everything down, restart Infopath, open form and the binding is back in place. What am I doing wrong here. I am brand new to Infopath. I am using the save button so much it is annoying. It's still not working. I have searched all over the place to make sure I don't have two or more versions of my form. Any ideas?

Is this reproducible in a new, blank form, or is it only happening with this one form? I ask to make sure that the xsn form template is not corrupt in some weird way.

I guess one thing to try is to perform a Repair for Microsoft Office.

This is happening with every form I create. I created my fifth form yesterday and published it to a SharePoint list. I made changes and additions through out the day. When I left at the end of the day everything was real close to being complete. I come in today to finish the form and find that columns in the form are now missing in the SharePoint list. I can click on "add new item" in the list, the form comes up with the fields in it but that don't work like they did yesterday. For instance, user name won't allow me to type in the form field and it is missing from the column headings in the SharePoint list. I have tried to save and republish the form to the list but no luck. It won't update. I verified the publishing URL and it is correct. I thought maybe this had to do with where I was saving the form. On my PC verses a network drive. I have tried both. I am either doing something wrong here or there is a setting some where that is not allowing me to save changes. But even that doesn't make sense. I can work in a form. This is really making us think we shouldn't be using Infopath.

I have to say - I've never had this happen. It seems like there is something wrong with either your InfoPath install or your SharePoint install. When you open the form you saved locally in design mode - the changes you saved are no longer there? When you publish your form to SharePoint - the published changes disappear?

The answer is yes to both your questions. The interesting thing is, I can edit the form several times in design mode through out the day. Changes I make save and work. Later that day or the next day, they are gone. It is not even consitent on what is missing in the local copy and what is missing in the SharePoint list.

I made a very simple form. It has title field, user name, current date, description, and attachment field. I had a rule on the current date so a user could not edit it. Today that rule is gone.I thought maybe since I am new to this that I was putting things on the form that Infopath didn't like so I started using design checker before I saved my changes. No errors or messages. Save completes and I continue on to the next addition or change. 

 

What if you make an edit and close the form and re-open it in design mode right away - that is, you say "Later that day or the next day, they are gone" - I'm wondering if they are also gone right away if you save the form locally and close it, then re-open it in design mode.

Have you been testing this with a single SharePoint List? Are you creating a new list form (i.e., opening IP designer and selecting SharePoint List for the form type) or opening the form in design mode some other way? Perhaps lay out your exact steps?

I have been creating new forms and SharePoint lists trying to test this. I have added a change several times, saved, closed and reopen. Changes are still in place. I can't seem to nail down a time when changes /  additions are removed.

Maybe it is the process I am using.

I create a new form in IP by selecting SharePoint list as a template. I have tried a SharePoint Lib template and the blank form template. I select an existing SharePoint list (newly created and empty, except for default columns) I select a page design in IP. Add a few fields, such as a description field.

Two fields I am having trouble with now are the default fields of "created by" and "created". When I first started this form the "created by" field was allowing me to enter my name on the form and then verify / select my name from a lookup drop down. This is being retrieved from active directory. Today I opened the form and I can not enter my name in the field. When I save the form it displays in SharePoint with the logged in user for SharePoint. I can see that it is populating this field with the author of the submitted form, but why did it change from yesturday?

The other field is the "created" field. When I open the form in SharePoint it was showing the current date on the form. Which is what I wanted. Today I get nothing and I can't type in the field, it's blank. The calendar icon doesn't allow me to select a date either. When I save the form in SharePoint, the field now has the current date in it. That's good but why doesn't it show on the form like it did yesturday?

 Both of these fields are default columns when I create a new SharePoint list. I just don't understand why they do not display the same way they did when I first added them to the form. It appears that SharePoint is overriding / changing the propeties of the field. I can't pin point when this is happening. I would think it would show an error or message when I first try to save the form and publish it to SharePoint. I can save the form and publish it several times with the same results. I go do something else or come back the next day and the form is now changed.

Well, I wouldn't imagine you could change the Created Date or the Created By information - SharePoint controls that (as well as the modified information). But what happens if you add a new field to the form to store a date?

I will add a new date field that will show the current date. I am also going to put a rule on it so users will not be able to modify it. Thanks for sticking with me on this.I am a little baffled as to why I was able to create rules and modify the fields on the form that are defaults in my SharePoint list. Oh well lesson learned

 

I have not had this issue repeat it's self for several days now. Go figure. I love it when that happens