I wrote several infopath forms back in MOSS 2007. But I am
now trying to get one of the new forms created for the default SharePoint list
forms.
I am struggling with learning how to successfully create
what seemed, a week ago, to be a relatively simple task.
Create a SharePoint list that users can use to enter the
details for a charge code, save the item, and initiate a workflow task for
someone to review the request and either reject or approve the creation of the
new code. Then manually the charge code would be created, entered into the
external system.
The requirements were more detailed than that – it should
look like such and such, we want the user to be able to pick a primary department
from a dropdown and secondary departments from a multiple choice list. We want
users to also specific another department specific code from another list… you
know the drill.
I thought “oh, this won’t be bad”. Now several dozen hours later, I wonder if
these out of the box custom lists and workflows are really of any practical use
in the real world.
For instance, I create the custom list. I add the static
fields. I create the two master lists (departments and codes) to be used in
lookup columns.
I create 3 lookup columns –a single choice lookup drop down
based on departments, a multiple selection lookup based on departments, and,
initially, a single choice lookup based on codes.
Then I tried to test it.
I discovered that depending on how I went about testing,
sometimes neither of the dropdowns worked. Other times one might work
correctly, and the second drop down’s values would appear on top of the first’s
control on the screen.
So I decided to take the plunge and try the SP 2010 ribbon
option on the custom list for creating a custom InfoPath 2010 form.
Surprise 1 – I am told that an IP2010 form could not be
created due to the codes lookup column. So I delete that column. I try to
create the IP2010 form again.
Surprise 2 – the resulting form used a totally different
control widget for lookup control 2 (the multi-selection control).
I then create within IP2010 the third control, publish the
form, and that worked.
I find a variety of things that are frustrating, but I
fiddle with it until it works as well as it is going to.
I show the stakeholders what we have. They want a series of
simple wording changes. No sweat. They would love for the look up controls to
display a combination of 2 columns from the original table – I don’t know how
to change that yet.
I go into list settings to change the descriptions of the
list columns. I save the changes. I go to the list to create a new item. All
the changes are missing! Dog gone it. Apparently replacing the out of the box
form with an IP2010 form means that I no longer have a form that is dynamically
tied to the list settings column attributes!
That stinks. Oh well, I will open IP2010 designer, sync the
form and the list configuration, and republish.
I am prompted about syncing the list and the form. I say “Yes”
please do sync it.
The form opens – and all the names, descriptions, etc. are
from BEFORE I made the changes.
So, I tried various things to try and get Infopath to update
the form. That didn’t work.
I tried to figure out a way to reset the list to the out of
the box form so I could try again. I couldn’t find anything.
I tried deleting the content type thinking that it would get
recreated – it just killed the list.
So I have started over. But I really could use some
resources in learning how to make this stuff work. Right now, it is more
frustrating than it is successful.