SharePoint Integration

Re: Adding a (continous?) form to a SharePoint site

Hilary Stoupa — Tue, 19 Sep 2017 14:57:56 GMT

If you open up InfoPath Designer and select "New" you can see the options for templates. If your data is flat (no nested repeating data) and your users like the functionality of search / filter / views in SharePoint, a list form is likely best. If you have complex data structures, you can use a form published to a library, but need to understand the limits of promoted properties for exposing that data. InfoPath can also be used to connect directly to Access or SQL database tables. To submit to Access / SQL or to a SharePoint list, you need to start with the correct template time. If you just start with a blank form - you can submit to a library, but won't be able to submit to a DB or a list (without code / web service / third party tools).

Re: Adding a (continous?) form to a SharePoint site

shabbaranks — Tue, 19 Sep 2017 14:10:50 GMT

Thanks again. Just to get the setup clear in my head (as I keep confusing myself) if you were looking to create a front end (form base) with a back end (data store list\library etc) which is a glorified access database with forms and tables, what would the preferred method used be?

Would you create a data connection library or a list library or a form library?

Re: Adding a (continous?) form to a SharePoint site

Hilary Stoupa — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 15:23:52 GMT

I'm happy I could help & glad to hear that you have things working!

Re: Adding a (continous?) form to a SharePoint site

shabbaranks — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 15:20:33 GMT

Im not sure how I missed that - thank you. All is working as expected I shall test further.

Just to reiterate my previous words - thank you for all your help on this its greatfully appreciated.

Re: Adding a (continous?) form to a SharePoint site

Hilary Stoupa — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 15:10:59 GMT

Doesn't the form open when you click "new" in the list?

Re: Adding a (continous?) form to a SharePoint site

shabbaranks — Wed, 13 Sep 2017 13:05:06 GMT

Scrap my last message Ive got the query list on form load working and so the form displays previously submitted entries on load - wooohooooo :)

All I need to do now is work out how I make the form available for people to fill in as when I launch the link after publishing all I get is a list view of whats been submitted not a form view of the InfoPath form.

Thanks

Re: Adding a (continous?) form to a SharePoint site

shabbaranks — Wed, 13 Sep 2017 12:32:24 GMT

Thanks Hilary (I'm slowly understanding the process and how the forms interact with SharePoint lists).

A list is exactly what I want to achieve (which is now working when submitted which I tested from within InfoPaths preview function). How do I present the InfoPath form to the user to populate the list? Do I just upload the InfoPath form as a webpage?

And how do I query what's been submitted to show within the form when loading?

Thanks soo much for your help I promise Im learning and my questions wont be so "newbie'ish" if that's a word?!

Re: Adding a (continous?) form to a SharePoint site

Hilary Stoupa — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 15:11:18 GMT

This is normal behavior for a library form - which is why I had thought for this design you would want to use a list form set to manage multiple items.... I guess you could always only have one form in the library. Set the form name in the submit connection so it is hardcoded & set to overwrite.

Re: Adding a (continous?) form to a SharePoint site

shabbaranks — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 15:05:21 GMT

Hi,

the place Im currently at is, I've created a data connection library and within that Ive created columns which correlate to the InfoPath form Ive created. My InfoPath form property promotion contains links to the columns but on submission of my form new InfoPath forms are getting created in the library where as Im trying to populate the columns with the data and re-populate the form when it opens with submitted values.

Can you tell me where Im going wrong?

Thanks

Re: Adding a (continous?) form to a SharePoint site

shabbaranks — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 15:34:04 GMT

Ah ok makes sense, because all the fields are in a repeating table that's why its prompting for this...

Re: Adding a (continous?) form to a SharePoint site

Hilary Stoupa — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 15:25:55 GMT

So - if you are talking about the dropdown when promoting a field that repeats (i.e., the field is repeating or in a repeating group) - if the data is numeric, you'd have the option of sum - that would sum all the values for the repeating node. Count is a count of nodes. First is the value from the first instance - last is the value from the last instance. Merge gives you all the values, semi-colon delimited.

Re: Adding a (continous?) form to a SharePoint site

shabbaranks — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 12:36:19 GMT

It seems my image didn't attach - the drop down box contains

first, last, count sum etc

Re: Adding a (continous?) form to a SharePoint site

shabbaranks — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 12:33:54 GMT

Hi,

I hadn't realised (still finding my feet with InfoPath) when you create your form and plan to publish to SharePoint you get the option to create the columns for the form - great. Can someone please tell me, when you get this option you also get a dropdown in the functions section as below. What does this apply to? I know what functions are but how do they relate to the form columns Im after as generally the columns will be text.

Thanks

Re: Adding a (continous?) form to a SharePoint site

shabbaranks — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 08:17:30 GMT

Hi Hilary,

I know exactly what you mean in my head it makes sense but in the content of this forum its clear as mud :)

The idea is that the users can see all items in the list weather they are active or not. I know what you mean by the list is going to grow legs but I think that'll be a phase 2 as to if its massive then I'll create a method to filter out old entries and create reports.

Am I correct in thinking the process is - create a list within SharePoint, create custom columns which reflect the forms entry fields. The form them submits anything input to the list which is then returned with a query when ever the form is opened?

Thanks for persevering with me on this :)

Re: Adding a (continous?) form to a SharePoint site

Hilary Stoupa — Fri, 08 Sep 2017 15:05:45 GMT

It depends. If you use a list form customized with InfoPath, then yes, that is what InfoPath + SharePoint is. Do you want them to be able to enter individual items, but also see all the current (active) items? If so, you could just add a query to the list as a secondary data connection, and display the data that is already present. You can set query fields to determine exactly which data should be displayed.... Sorry if this is all rather vague, I'm still uncertain that I understand what you are trying to accomplish. :)