InfoPath Dev

Hi

This is my first post on the forum... looks like a lot of good stuff out here. My questions involve updating Microsoft's Sharepoint helpdesk template with an infopath problem ticket. I created the form and tied it to some of the fields in the SQL database but I have a few problems.
1) Is there any way around infopaths inability to use ntext data from a field?
2) How can I directly update the Issues list with my ticket form....will a submit button on the form directly update the list?
3) Is there a way to let all users update the list from the form with only content contributors rights?

Any help with some of this would be appreciated.
Thanks!

dmhollis

Hi Dmhollis and welcome to our forum!

1) What is the problem you are seeing when you bind to an ntext column?

2) You can write a custom ASPX webpart to pull the data, or you can save the form to SharePoint as part of the database submit using a set of rules. Double click on the submit button and add some rules. The first rule would submit to a SharePoint form library. The problem with this is you have data in two places, but you can also add code to the form so that when it opens it reads from the database and not from SharePoint. To change the default SharePoint Issues list will require submitting to that list as part of your rule which will involve some code. Check out Chapter 9 in our book for an example of submitting to the SharePoint Issues list. In addition, Matt Faus has a HowTo article on submitting to SharePoint lists.

3) Easiest way is to set the permissions for the form library on SharePoint but that only controls the save to SharePoint. The authorize saving to the database will require some code in the form and a role definition. You can define User Roles through Tools->User Roles in the Designer. InfoPath queries Active Directory to get the group or user account of the user. To get the info from SharePoint will require some other tricks (calling one of SharePoint's Web services) but is not impossible.

I hope this helps. I look forward to getting more info on #1.

Patrick Halstead [InfoPath MVP]
InfoPathDev

Hi Patrick

Thanks for responding! I found when setting up the form to database links, it never even gives me the description column (ntext) as an option. I went into the SQL database and found the sharepoint content database, userdata table and in it the column that held my description data. Using the SQL Enterprise Manager it shows me that the column data is ntext and I found through other searching that ntext data is supposedly not supported by Infopath. I was assuming that is why, when I go into my form and select the datasource, it doesn't even give me that field as an option to select. Am I going about selecting my datasource all wrong? (I think your book is going to be a must, by the way)

Thanks,
DMHollis

Hi again,
Not sure regarding the ntext. In general, you can get this info if you write your own code to access SQL. I don't remember why it's a problem with the default data connections wizard. Could be because it can't be validated. I need to refresh my memory. Anyway, what site said ntext wasn't supported? Do you have a link? I can check with MS.

Patrick Halstead [InfoPath MVP]
InfoPathDev

Hi Patrick,

Your very own Greg Collins wrote the article I was referencing when trying to submit data to an SQL database.

http://ww.infopathdev.com/howto/tutorials/d2e829ea745e4679b55e24b12017e092.xml

Unless Infopath has been updated since this article was published... it seemed like I was out of luck with ntext characters. Anyway, I'm looking for a way around this... will research more about SQL and see what I can find.

Thanks for your help,
dmhollis

Hi again,
Well, then I should just ask Greg to chime in here... :) One moment please ...

Patrick Halstead [InfoPath MVP]
InfoPathDev

Yes, long data types (ntext included) are not supported directly from InfoPath. If you need to use these, you must use a Web service or write some other code to communicate directly with SQL.

Greg Collins [InfoPath MVP]
InfoPath Dev

Greg,

Do you have any good resources for someone new to web service development. I would need to start with the basics. This seems to be the best way to get my large text data into my existing sql database, so I'm going to dig in and try the web service to connect.

Thanks,
dmhollis

I don't personally have any... but I know that there are plenty of sources on the Internet for first-time Web service development... it will just take a little searching to find one that is easy to understand and follow.

Greg Collins [InfoPath MVP]
InfoPath Dev

Hi dmhollis,

Since you posted this in the SPS forum, i recon that you would like the WS tied up to SPS.

Theres an excellent step-by-step article on how to do this on MSDN:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/odc_sp2003_ta/html/odc_writingcustomwebservicesforsppt.asp

For a more general approach on how to create web services check out the Web Services home on MSDN
http://msdn.microsoft.com/webservices/default.aspx

hth
//AndersR

//AndersR