InfoPath Dev

Question....and advice. My Supervisor wants 16 different forms that has the same fields, but just different Names on the form to be stored in the same form Library. Is it a more fesible way I can do this and advise her on this. Also, can different for with different fields be stored in this form Library. Please help.............

Hi Michael,
When you say a "form" if you mean "an xml file", then the answer is "yes". When you say a "form" if you mean "an xsn file", then the answer could be "yes" but depends on how you deploy the form libraries.

I mean a xsn file to a SharepPoint Form Library.....I have one Form Library.

Michael,

[my scope: SharePoint 2003]

yes, you can deploy multiple XSNs to a forms library, but only one is 'connected' to the "Fill a Form' button of the forms library, this one is named 'template.xsn'.
Use FrontPage or SharePoint Designer to upload the template XSNs to the FORMS folder of the forms library.

With multiple templates for a library also multiple form files (from different templates) are stored in the library.
InfoPath supports field promotion where DataSource fields are promoted to SharePoint columns. When publishing a template, a "properties.xfp" file is created in the Forms folder, which contains xpath query to fields in the forms xml file.

You can edit this file to support field promotion for multiple InfoPath templates, you can even map the same field for different InfoPath template to the same SharePoint column! It takes a little experimenting.
Know that field values turn into column values when a file is saved and NOT when you changed to properties.xfp file.

Good luck.

Hi VictorV and thanks for the great SharePoint advice!
We have special prize and moderator status for those helpful advisors who reach 100 posts. :)

If I have the same column but want the departments to fill out different forms in the same form library; how do I do this.

victorv,
If I deploy multiple XSNs to a form library, where and how will the user click on a button and fill out that form? Also, If I have only 4 different forms and 16 different departments that will only use 4 different forms, what do you think is my best avenue?