InfoPath Dev

I think that Infopath-Form is dynamic documents that no problem will happen if many users edit at the same time also editing will be invited by a task assigned in the workflow. Unlikely any documents in a document library where confusion could happen if many users try to edit in same time. this is my imagination, is that right? Or Forms in form library still need the check in check out modes of editing?

I am not sure I understand your question. If you are saying that you have a form users will only be using from a link in t workflow - then you aren't likely to need to have users check forms out to edit them. If these are form library forms and your users fill them out in the browser, you may want to consider adding check in / out, since the person who saves last wins in this scenario - the existing form will be overwritten (although some of this behavior depends on how your form is configured - if you are allowing submit to overwrite, if you are allowing save, etc).

Thank you for your helpful answer, and yes this what I mean. * now check in or out relating somehow to versioning? , I mean if I turn to the version on this will make it better and easy to retrieve older version if thing going bad or mistaken. * in your opinion, can I control the check-in out through a workflow? I want this because I have hundreds of users and some may not follow the check-in / out concept and then the situation may be confused about why the data didn't save correctly. >>>>>>> I mean controlling by a workflow that no one has any option to do check in -out manually the workflow do it for every user. Thanks in advance

I don't think it is possible to check a file out with SharePoint workflow. If you turn on versioning, you can roll back to a prior version, so that may be more useful in your scenario.

actually, SPD has the action [Check Out Item ] but I don't know how to manage to do this action in the moment user open the document. ================================================================================================================================== Can we achieve automatic Checkout in the INFOPATH Form itself? >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [the form when any user open it " checkout to this user" ] ===================================================================================================================================== the scenario that I imagine, is to have query field " in the form" from Checkout column " SP library". then modify it when document opened. the Problem about this scenario is I don't know how to get the information from the InfoPath form indicating the form opened and opened by who? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ if my scenario could be achieved, then all that we do is to modify the query field " Checked out to " by the name of the person who opened the document, however, I don't know how to get the name of person opens the document !! ========================================================================================================================================== Hilary Stoupa, Does this look possible from your point of view?

Form Load rules run when a form is opened. The userName() function tells you who has it open. So - on form open, you could immediately submit the form back to the library - perhaps that will do what you need?

*******"you could immediately submit the form back to the library" ********* ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Can you explain the meaning for SUBMIT THE FORM BACK, do you mean that on form load rules I can do action submit !! this will change the name of the form. I wanted the summit to happen only one time when the creator creates the document and the submit button disappears after that. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ To be clear in my question: the action SUBMIT in Open form Rules will do same submit like the one we defined the name and called main submit? or it is just like a link to send immediately the data defined by submitting action in Open form Rules to the library " without overriding the name of the form?

Submitting only changes the name of the form if that's how you have your rules set up. I usually have a field in my form for the form name and only set it one time so the name stays stable. I really can't try to guess every rule you have set up in the form.

I found the link to Hilary Stoupa Blog about auto check-in /out, if anyone interested: https://www.infopathdev.com/blogs/hilary/archive/2010/11/10/check-that-form-out-or-in-automatically.aspx

even if i use same name , the form will be submitted as new form so new workflow will start. i need to keep the form same . also i use now function as apart from form name . so the now value will be different at every moment of opening the form and this will be a problem if the form name changed . any other alternatives you know to auto checkout the document in the opening moment !

Hello Hilary,

I have read your amazing blog about auto-Check-out procedures using InfoPath form, and data connection to checkout/check-in.

I have one problem that the procedure seems incomplete and giving me an error in opening the form. Sure, it's hard for you to guess to what extent I followed your methodology, but I did all parts as described may be there are well-known steps in between for everybody and for me, I couldn't guess it. but the error I got while opening the form " from browser " is kind of error that asking me to "save as" the form, maybe this gives you a hint about what happened!

let me start by these Questions , maybe there is an obvious sub steps that I didn't noticed as you expect all readers may notice:

1)  Setting the field {checkoutToLocal} value to {true()}, is it an action that modify the column [Check out to ] to be the person who open the Form "On Browser" ? or it is just an action that enable the modifying by setting the field to true ?

2)   Where is the action the really modify the column [Check out to ] to be the person who open the Form “In Browser” ?

3) Is the meaning of {checkoutToLocal} is that this whole procedure related only to Forms which will be opened in filler? In my case my forms will be open in browser!

 

Thank you for your Support and that Blog 

 

What's the error? Is it a browser error on the data connection? checkoutToLocal indicates whether the form should be available for offline editing, as per the blog. The person executing the data connection is the person the file will be checked out to. You can see the available parameters for the web method here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/office/developer/sharepoint-services/ms774439(v=office.12)

 Hi zakaria.botros -

If you're looking to do an actual form (like request for time off, or supplies, etc.), then check-in and check-out probably isn't going to be the best option. Forms are pretty much used to compile data to a list or library from multiple users. You might be better off just creating a file (Word, Excel, Access) with check in and out capability, and you could also do versioning control to go back to an earlier example if one of your users makes a mistake.

Perhaps a bit more information on what exactly you're trying to achieve will give us a better chance of helping. The other option is to create rules within the form itself through InfoPath to ensure that your users are inputting in the correct data. Drop-downs, Boolean, etc., can go a long way. I feel your pain though, I know how it goes when you have a bunch of people trying to input data and most of them aren't paying attention or don't know better. ;)

Hi DerekS , Hi Hilary ,

Thanks for your time reading my questions and trying to help.

I found the suggestion of DerekS is a very good idea that I explain the whole scenario and the reason why I need to apply auto checkin/out.

The project is form library on SharePoint 2013. Only one form [ Browser InfoPath Form not filler] will be created by the creator to start ECD” engineering change document “procedure.

The form containing some parts where the creator will explain the suggested change for product, process, safety …etc.

The creator, before submitting the document, he will choose certain departments to be included in the document by clicking on few check boxes as he wants, each checkbox related to a section that will appear once he clicks the checkbox.

The department section includes some information, and “the most important” person picker field where the creator will write the display name for the person he wants to be notified in this department.

Then the creator will submit the document {auto submit will name the document using now() function and other fields concatenated together}.

Now, the complications will start. Once the document submitted there will be a workflow upon creation that will check for only required departments to assign tasks to the person in this department and wait “Parallel waiting for all required departments “.

While waiting, anyone can open the form to click for approval or rejection and add comments and some technical drawing if any and sign. All these actions considered as modification for the form and if more that one open the form in same moment “which is very possible “he will not be able to save the document and he will lose his time may be one hour in writing financial r technical reviews or it could be live meeting to do so.

As you know, the advice to check out the documents before editing it is not well followed for all users and my project will be used by top managing persons I can’t force them to do so, and most of them are aged persons they will probably forget to checkout.

I did optimize successfully the approval or rejection to be inly one button inside the form and this will be applied to the task it self in the task list. So, no need to go to the task after modifying the form to express approval or rejection. they are both linked through a workflow to override one by the other or vice versa.

MY BIG CHALENEGE NOW IS:  how to automatically set the check out check in action to be executed in the moment of opening the form to be checkout to the person who opened the form and once he finishes and save it the document will be checked back in.  I successfully managed how to show warning in the moment of opening the form if it is checked out but the action itself I cannot automate it yet.

I tried to follow the steps explained in Hilary stupa blog but when I open the form nothing happens “no check out happens “only one error saying the “error while opening the form “and ok button when I click this ok the form open and everything is fine but not checked out.

If you have any idea why the steps in the blog doesn’t work for me or if you know a book that include case similar scenarios in details “I mean auto check-in checkout “, Please let me know.

 

Thanks for your time and help

 I would suggest doing the heavy lifting on the form itself, or use a simple approval process that has it set in series, whereby it'd go to each department or specified persons in the order you select before the form becomes "live and editable."

The other option would to create rules that hide or disable field from being changed unless they're a specific user(s) you set up. Workflows can be a real bear, I always do as much on the form itself as possible and keep the Workflow super simple.

The book you want is Using Microsoft InfoPath 2010 with Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Step by Step. Chapter 10 goes through how to create a policy suggestion form/workflow, and chapter 11 goes through how to create a form and have the approval process on the form itself. It literally walks you through step by step. I bought the book and it's been (largely) a huge help. It can be had for under $20, possibly cheaper if you buy it electronically, assuming it's available in that format.