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Re: Do Info-Path Forms really need the Check in Check out strategy ?

DerekS — Thu, 04 Apr 2019 19:50:16 GMT

So glad to hear that you have it working. It can be difficult, sometimes it takes a second set of eyes that are familiar with the system to see things that we don't because we've been staring at it for days on end. :)

Re: Do Info-Path Forms really need the Check in Check out strategy ?

zakaria.botros — Thu, 04 Apr 2019 19:44:27 GMT

Hello Hilary,

thanks for reply. yes the checkout works on form load without any conditions . And the check out field cannot be override if any other person open the file . the check it as well with no condition but it happen with button not form load :D

I did contacted my admin and we found that the check-in activity consider as delete level , so we changed this user to be "contribute permission" instead of "contribute-no delete permission" and this was enough to make it work for every one who has at least contribute level .

Thanks again for you and for Dereks for your help and patience in supporting me step by step.

Re: Do Info-Path Forms really need the Check in Check out strategy ?

Hilary Stoupa — Thu, 04 Apr 2019 15:02:09 GMT

Is the form actually being checked out? Your first sentence says that you don't have conditions to check out on opening the form - are you having the user check out via a button or something? At any rate - for that Critical Error, you'll probably need to have your SharePoint Admin check the ULS logs so you can see what the error actually is in order to troubleshoot it.

Re: Do Info-Path Forms really need the Check in Check out strategy ?

zakaria.botros — Thu, 04 Apr 2019 12:10:10 GMT

Hello Hilary and DerekS,

Now every thing works fine but without conditions to checkout on opening the form.

and I have button to close and check in the file . this button works fine for me and any owner but it gives me an error for other users " correlation error contact your farm administrator "

the link for this error photo : https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Jhm_FGERK2fJWZlJ2xZj-zi6Z46uBQvO

Please help how to get rid of this error which appear only in case or normal user " contribute - no delete" open the form and try to click on check-in and close.

Re: Do Info-Path Forms really need the Check in Check out strategy ?

DerekS — Wed, 03 Apr 2019 18:40:17 GMT

From the looks of it, every headache you are getting is due to the check-in/check-out implementation. Humor me. Create another copy of the form, (make sure you edit the Data Connections and Publish it to a different Library so you don't overwrite your existing stuff, dump the check-in/out, and simply hide or disable fields based on the view or the user that is currently using the form. I'm willing to bet a pack of bubblegum it'll probably work better.

I've never used check-in/out with a workflow. To me personally, it's like using a jackhammer to put a tack in the wall to hang a calendar. ;) If I use check in/out, it's on pages or documents, not forms. Too many moving parts for forms. Just one non-expert's opinion.

Ok, got a meeting to go to. Good luck and just try it.

Re: Do Info-Path Forms really need the Check in Check out strategy ?

zakaria.botros — Wed, 03 Apr 2019 18:30:54 GMT

ok , but finally it works only when i apply actions with no conditions at all becaus ethe condition checkoutt is not blank doesnt work . after i found the file checked out atuomaticalli , now i can't check it back in . probably the sharepoint understood that it is locally , here is the image for this error while i was trying to check in https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ck_uakw2tWIeHslWvasDnpC4TB2-Dmh9

Re: Do Info-Path Forms really need the Check in Check out strategy ?

DerekS — Wed, 03 Apr 2019 18:06:34 GMT

Ok, a web service warning is typically a connection issue. I get it a lot when I use User Profile data connections here at work. It's intermittent, so tough to track down sometimes.

That said, the Log ID and Correlation ID should tell you exactly what the issue is, if you have admin rights on the server. I have local admin rights, but not to my server farm, so I can't check mine personally.

Re: Do Info-Path Forms really need the Check in Check out strategy ?

zakaria.botros — Wed, 03 Apr 2019 17:41:22 GMT

here is the error while trying to open the form after applying the steps in the blog

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1QSpiz-1qo6j7rSTPhXr4qwY23RGW1FhX

Re: Do Info-Path Forms really need the Check in Check out strategy ?

DerekS — Wed, 03 Apr 2019 17:33:16 GMT

No, she means Checked_Out_To is not blank. Because the rule is running upon the form being opened (Form Load), you want to make sure you're getting a form that isn't already checked out to another user.

Re: Do Info-Path Forms really need the Check in Check out strategy ?

zakaria.botros — Wed, 03 Apr 2019 17:26:28 GMT

Hilary ,

The first condition in the blosg is : if Check-out-to is not blank . Why we want to checkout the file if there is some name in the checkout field .

may be you mean that if check-out to is blank , right !!!

Re: Do Info-Path Forms really need the Check in Check out strategy ?

zakaria.botros — Wed, 03 Apr 2019 17:14:28 GMT

Thank you DerekS , I will read these chapters from this book . and the form with calculating filed giving the actual approval final status . I just use workflow to only assign task and remind ppl if they are late and to shut the task if the person did a decision in the form it self .

Thanks

Re: Do Info-Path Forms really need the Check in Check out strategy ?

DerekS — Wed, 03 Apr 2019 17:01:30 GMT

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.

Re: Do Info-Path Forms really need the Check in Check out strategy ?

zakaria.botros — Wed, 03 Apr 2019 15:58:57 GMT

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

Re: Do Info-Path Forms really need the Check in Check out strategy ?

DerekS — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 19:51:58 GMT

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. ;)

Re: Do Info-Path Forms really need the Check in Check out strategy ?

Hilary Stoupa — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 18:11:04 GMT

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)