Newbie Questions

Re: Publish Multiple Forms - One Access Database

Patrick Halstead — Tue, 17 May 2011 07:50:43 GMT

Hey man,

Well, the benefit of InfoPath is that it helps you decentralize your business process. Remember when there was one Excel spreadsheet on a file share that everyone edited? Those days are over. InfoPath and SharePoint help you decentralize your data input. They pave the last mile to the data-entry doorstep and let you streamline your business process by allowing many people to work on the same set of data simultaneously.

In other words, you don't want to have everyone editing one form!!! :)

I'm a bit confused though since you say you are doing autonumbering but that each user edits the same form. That's weird man. Maybe you're data architecture is not allowing for parallel edits. If so, you need to fix your underlying schema.

I don't think creating separate "Main" databases for each user is the solution. Rather, you need to normalize your database tables so that multiple users can edit the same data without experiencing collisions. Maybe that's what you are implying with the "secondaries" term.

If you want to talk, let me know.

Later man

Re: Publish Multiple Forms - One Access Database

morphguy112 — Tue, 17 May 2011 02:27:47 GMT

Thanks so much Patrick for responding so quickly.

Can you provide a little more detail?

So if I change the primary key to be unique everytime someone submits the form instead of autonumbering, then there shouldn't be any issues with read only rules for the 2nd user?

I'm just curious if I should bother creating each user their own form so everyone could open and use it at the same time; instead of having only one form for everyone to use.

Would it be better if each person had their own Main Database, and then could connect to other user's databases and setup them as secondaries?

Thanks so much,

Definitely appreciate it!!

Re: Publish Multiple Forms - One Access Database

Patrick Halstead — Mon, 16 May 2011 07:52:04 GMT

Hi MorphGuy112,

Probably that's a limitation of using Access to create your forms. We don't have that limitation with regular InfoPath forms.

My hunch is there's some primary key or ID or something that you are using to open the form and that's causing the lockage.

Best of luck...

Publish Multiple Forms - One Access Database

morphguy112 — Mon, 16 May 2011 05:57:58 GMT

Hey Guys!

So my form is almost complete, but with testing I realized two users can't open the same form and submit data ( form is non-browser ).

Since there are only a few of us that will be using the form at the same time, is it possible to just publish each user their own unique form that they would open, but would all connect to the same Access Database on the network so we could work at the same time?

Any help would definitely be appreciated!

Thanks!!