InfoPath Dev

I have a drop down box, when the user selects a value from it, it populates 3 other boxes assuming there is data to populate.

A mutiline box has a formula of - ServiceRequired[Title = Supplier]

When there is no data the user will type their own data into this multi-line textbox. However when they save and re-open the form the data is gone!

My guess was that, when re-opened, the form was re-evalutaing the relationship and reverting the multiline textbox back to what it is in the underlining datasource (empty).
So I thought I would untick the box (properties of text box) that says "refresh value when form is recalculated" but now the box is never populated even when there is underlying data.

Hope I explained that ok. In a nutshell I'd like the user to be able to enter data into this linked box and have it persist regardless of what is (or is not) in the underlying datasource.

If the control is bound to a secondary data source node, the node won't persist the data after the form is closed and reopened.

So assuming the control is bound to the main data source, it could only get cleared via (1) user input or (2) a rule (form logic). You could check the Logic Inspector to see if there's an action somewhere on the form that's resetting the value of this field.

It is bound to a secondary... when the user selects from a drop down this other control is populated based on info that may (or not) reside in a sharepoint list based on the associated drop down value.

Is there no way to edit the existing or add non-existing info to a control that is "tied" this way.
I realise they could edit the underlying SP list and add the data but this might be on-the-fly info needing to be entered

Just to clarify - I am not trying to right back to the underlying datasource, simply to have the entered text remain in the submitted form

If the data entered by the user needs to be retained, then the data needs to exist in the main data source.

Otherwise, when the form is closed, the data is lost.

Hi, sorry I'm not 100% sure by what you mean when you exist in the main data source.
The text box (multi) is a field that is bound to a control in the main data source.

It just so happens that this control will show info from a SP list (secondary connection) based on selection in a drop down.

When the user selects from the drop down, the multiline text box will display any info (if exists).
From that point on the user needs to be able to amend/delete (add if nothing exists) to the text box and have this saved with the rest of the form data.

Oh, sorry. I must be misunderstanding the issue then.

If the text box is in the main data source, and the form is submitted, closed and reopened, then the data that was in the text box should still be available after reopening.

If the data is getting cleared, perhaps there's a rule that's clearing the contents?

That's what I would have thought but there is none, I just created a new form, selected from the drop down box (in this instance there was no additional data from the secondary connection) so I typed "test" into the box.}
Then I clicked submit. Then I closed the form (it asks me if I want to save the form which is annoying as I had no further changes) and clicked no.
Re-opened the form and "test" is gone

Another test: I did exactly the same as above but instead of closing the form (after submitting) I clicked save. It made me specify the form I wanted to save over the top of (which again is annoying - why not just save as the already submitted form like it would if I had reopened it later?).
This time when I click save and specify where/what I watched the word "test" disappear before my eyes from the textbox!

If there are no rules to do with this textbox and nothing in the submit other than some logic that names the form and keeps it open - what else could cause this?

https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=C18B04D5BB544DB4!204&authkey=!ACT7icNg2QaS1jQ

This is a screenshot showing the calculated value for the ServiceRequired textbox (the affected one) and the 2 rules associated with form submission.
I tired to put the above path in by inserting an image but it kept showing as a broken image.

Does the text box have a calculated default value? Or are you using a rule to set it based on the drop down selection? I think your data is being overwritten by the calculated default.

Hopefully this screenshot can show all the necessaries - let me know if you need to see other rules/windows

https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=C18B04D5BB544DB4!205&authkey=!AJTS8WpxGR12sPs 

Use a rule instead of a calc'd value. If the calc is returning nothing it is overwriting your value.

Can you provide me with a pointer as to how to achieve this for this functionality please.
Any time I've ever needed a control to be populated from a secondary connection (based on a change in another control) I've simply just entered a default value that uses a filtered formula
How do I harness a change in the drop down so that I can go out and find SupplierDetails based on the newly selected Supplier?

Do I put the rule/action against the drop down of the field I want populated?

Cancel that, I should have tried before asking :)

It looks fairly simply. New rule on the dropdown. Condition = when changes. Action = update other control and just use the same filtered formula I originally had.
This dropdown "feeds" a total of 3 text boxes so hopefully there is no problem with me added 4 rules to this one dropdown?

The rule goes on the field bound to the drop down. The formula would be just like the one you used in the default value - you want to set the target field to the value from the 2DS where the Title = Supplier. The thing to remember about rules is that they only fire when the field they are on changes.