InfoPath Dev

Hello,
I'm putting together an Infopath form using Sharepoint Lists as a data source. (Infopath 2007 and Sharepoint 2007)
When I make these connections in Inofpath, I can add the lists as repeating tables in my form.
However, I need a means of performing calulations within the form on the data contained in the lists.
I have already inserted blank fields in the Sharepoint list that show up in the form and allow me to peform the calculations I need but when I submit the form, the user inserted data is refreshed to the original data stored in the Sharepoint list.
Is there a means of breaking the connection for these calculation fields such that they maintain the values inserted by users?
Specifically, the form is for customers to order stationery and have feedback as they fill out the form as to what the staionery will cost. This works fine.
On submit (to a sharepoint document library), when the stationery supplier opens the form, the user inserted information has reverted to the original data stored in the source Sharepoint list, so they can't see the numbers required.

If anyone has any clever advice or ideas around this, I'd appreciate hearing them.
Thanks.

 

Any field that you want to store data in has to be in the main data source of the form. You probably need to have a repeating group in your main data source with fields for information about the stationary order as well as fields for your calculated values. Then you can use drop down lists that use your SharePoint lists for a data source to allow the user to select from the available stationary options... does that make sense?

Hilary,

thanks for the response.

The DropDown approach was my first idea too but I was requested to change it to make the available items on the order form more immediately visible.

I think what I really need to do is come up with a method of copying the data from the Secondary source to the Main source and perform my calculations from there.

 

Is this a browser form? If not, and if you are using InfoPath 2007, I'd like to suggest you try qRules. It is free, and has a CopyData command that will copy repeating data from a secondary data source to the main data source. This will spare you writing code! A link to the download is available here.

Thanks again Hilary. Unfortunately, it is a browser form.

Does qRules definitely not support browser forms?

I'll have a go with it anyway, thanks for the suggestion. 

Hilary, thanks for your advice again. Have just published the form using the CopyTable command in qRules and itseems to be doing what I need. It's also in a Browser enabled form though I haven't had the opportunity to forensically check the compatibility there.

So far looks good though.

Thanks.

The current released version of qRules uses a class that isn't allowed in browser forms. Even with that class removed, some commands, like Copy Table, do not appear to work in the browser. We do hope to have an IPFS compatible version very soon, but I'm afraid 1.7 is not.

Hilary, the form I've developed is built in an Infopath and Infopath Forms Services environment and is showing no errors in the design checker.

Admittedly, it does require that it be Administrator Approved before publication.

Despite the lack of notification in the Design Checker, do you think qRules will ultimately preclude the form being filled out in a browser?

Thanks again.

Have you tried publishing, uploading as Admin Approved and clicking the 'Verify' button? That's where I have been getting errors, not in Design Checker.

Ouch, thats just about where I'm at right now.

Too terrified to check.

I don't believe you are going to like what you find.... that's why I mentioned the browser incompatibilities when I suggested qRules...

I don't have a Sharepoint Administrator here to install the template so I'll worry about it tomorrow.

Do you know of any alternative methods to achieve the same ends? i.e. copying data to the main from a secondary source?

Thanks again.

For repeating data, the only alternative I'm aware of is to write custom code.

Hilary, do you mind my asking exactly where the qRules copyTable command fails when deploying to a server?

I'm just trying to compare experiences. Currently mine seems to have loaded to the server but can't read from my original database.

Thanks again,

Nick.

 

Hi, Nick:

I'm sorry, I don't understand your question. In my tests, CopyTable simply failed when the form was deployed and used as a browser form. I'd click the button and nothing would happen -- my table would not copy. Mind you, this was in a custom build I had with no references to the dll System.Windows.Forms that IPFS fails form verification on. Also, it was a very simple example for my own testing -- copying one Main Data Source repeating group to another in the Main Data Source.

Did you deploy the form you enabled with qRules? That is, was your SharePoint Admin able to enable it? What do you mean by: Currently mine seems to have loaded to the server but can't read from my original database?