InfoPath Dev

Hi, I am a .net developer but have never done much in sharepoint other than update a webpart. I have been asked to develop a contact form that submits data to a table and also allows user to upload a document and that has to be versioned and stored against that record. I have been advised to user Infopath and am a little out of my depth. I gather I have to use a web browser enabled form. Should I use a database form and write to a webservice? I am realy stuck as to where to start so could really do with somebody who can walk me through and advise me the best practice. Hoping somebody can help. Jacqui.

Hi Jacqui,

Unfortunately, you've been tasked with a difficult task. Writing your own web service, deploying it, maintaining it, is no easy task for an InfoPath/SharePoint beginner. The topic has been discussed before in threads this like one. In addition, to upload a document (I assume into a separate document library) requires custom code.

Where to start? You could probably design a blank, new form, add your nodes, design the canvas (view), publish to the browser and add a submit data connection to the form library. That's the easy part and will get you some understanding of InfoPath design and SharePoint deployment. Once you've got that working, you can move on to the hard stuff: writing the code to upload the attachment and writing the web service to submit to SQL. We have a sequence of 4 training labs, available here, for those new to InfoPath.

Come back as you progress and ask questions. Good luck!

Thanks Ernesto. Need all the moral support I can get on this one and it is a relief to know that there are kind people out there willing to shove me in the right direction :) I shouldn't have any problem with the code on the web service as I have written a few of them that connect to sql databases, just not sure about deploying etc. I am lucky that there isn't a deadline as such on it as well so hopefully plenty of room for my learning curve. I will check out those links and thanks, I will be back in touch if I need anything. Jacqui.

Hi, Okay stuck already :) Created my form deployed and submitted to a document library nicely :) What is my next step ? Do I write the webservice next and use that or is there another step first and do I simply change my submit to use the webservice? Thanks as ever for your help here :) Jacqui.

Hi Jacqui,

How many tables are you trying to map your form to?

We have a free trial of a configurable Web service available here: http://www.qdabra.com/en/products/DBXL.aspx

The benefit is that it stores the entire XML in the DB and allows you to map to any set of tables by defining a configurable mapping.

That means it can be used for any schema - it's schema flexible. So you don't have to create-deploy a separate Web service for each InfoPath template. Means less maintenance work for you.

It's an easy install and it will even map your form to SharePoint library, and do other things like filtered queries, item-level permissions, etc.

Plus, Ernesto and others will support you with it. :)

Hi Patrick, This is a really simple one table form (at the moment), will have a look into your web service anyway so I know it is there if it gets a bit more complex :). And will definitely bare it in mind if I get asked to do another one Writing the basic web service is probably the one part of this that I won't find difficult as I am a .net developer, it is just all the deploying and configuring :) Thanks for your input :) Jacqui.