InfoPath Dev

What is the best way to do an approval process for management to approve or decline infopath forms?

I tried adding an email button which works fine within the InfoPath07 client, but when I use the same data connection submit in the browser based form it doesn't work.

I then tried to create the mail via code, which works but I can't figure out the C# to attach the form to the email that is sent from VS2005/VSTA.

I then tried setting up the Review/Approval Workflow in SharePoint, and when the email is generated from SharePoint to an inbox, the link to the form to approve or deny it when clicked comes up with a variety of errors either a blank html page with "The form has been closed" on it, or an error something very non-descript about Error log 5337 I think it was which I had no luck trying to find the cause of the errors after spending 2 days searching for it.

Am a bit at my wits end, any ideas? Very close to finishing this project but need to get this approval process sorted :)

Thanks,

John

Hey John.

I am currently doing a browser based workflow.  It is simple, which it sounds yours is, so it is being done within the form.  To enable email submit in a browser form you need to configure mail on Sharepoint, since the mail is generated from the server.

Then the form keeps track of the state and identifies the user and uses conditional formatting to control the logic of what the approver sees and does.

using code in a browser form increases the complexity and SP work flow can be difficult to.

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Thanks for the quick reply Clay.

Yes unfortunately due to the requirements of drilling right down to the nitty gritty details within the form - I had to write some code to cycle through it to populate a seperate SharePoint list for use with our financial system using SharePoint's update list webservice.

The server has the right mail settings on - I know this because when I create the Approval Workflow and associate it with my forms library, I get emails from SharePoint when an approval is needed to take place, but the link it provides takes me to a page which simply states "The form is now closed" - a very useful error message from Microsoft as usual...

I've read this is to do with the feature being corrupt some how but I've just removed all knowledge of the project from our MOSS server and redeployed and the error remains and all the articles I read seem to assume you are creating a custom workflow using VisualStudio, which I am not (though I will probably need to at some point)

I'm so frustrated because this is pretty much the last task and the workflow seems to be assigning it all correctly, just not providing the correct link to open the form in the browser (when I view the workflow's assigned approval task manually, I can download and open the form.xml and approve or deny it locally perfectly, just not via the server which was the whole point of purchasing MOSS enterprise!)

Has nobody else had this same Form has been closed problem whilst simply deploying a Form and attaching the SharePoint approval workflow?

John
 

I would guess the issues stem from the workflow.  The form is closed would be something from that.

Have you tried testing without the workflow?

You might create a test form with an email submit and verify.  Does your email submit occur before or after the SharePoint submit?

The form is submitted to a folder in the Library called "Awaiting Approval" the workflow then sends the email. When I try using the "email submit" option in the form itself I get a different set of errors. So I guess the options are SharePoint sends the email for approval, or the form sends the email.

I can send email from the form using C# code but not with the actual form attached (basically I have a hidden button that only managers can see in the form which does a final submit to the Details raw data I mentioned in my previous form because I figured having the manager control that will limit the errors going to the financial system from that seperate list rather than giving end users permission to submit to it, and I can't find a way to easily update that list via InfoPath + C# code..)

As the workflow is a standard SharePoint one, I've been unable to locate where exactly I go and find it to try open it up with either VS or SPDesigner to change how the workflow behaves, so far it has been purely configured within SharePoint sending test emails to myself when new Forms are submitted to the Form library and assigning the task of approving it.

Without the workflow the form opens fine but there is no email generated with a link pointing to it nor are there any way of tracking the forms the managers have or haven't approved and submitted.
 

I suggested the email from the form data connection since that should be a bit more straightforward but both are generated from the server. You should be able to create a typical email submit and it will use it on the server with a few limitations. no additional configurations.

I do not think you can get an attachment since it is browser based and the assumption is they do not have InfoPath and therefore need a hyperlink.

I have not been fortunate yet to really delve into SharePoint workflow so I cannot really help with that.

 OK thanks, just needed a fresh perspective. I've got the email working in code, so if I can figure out a way to get the URL of the current form that would work :-)
 

It should be able to be calculated in a field in your form using the site URL and form name with a concat function. Then you can pull that value into code and concat it into your email body.