InfoPath Dev

Hi,

I have a Filler form template published as a ContentType to Sharepoint.

I have a Forms Library to which I added the content type and the users can fill out the forms correctly and submit back to that libray OK. A workflow (SPD) sends a notification showing a direct link to the XML form, rather than to the list item, so that the user can click the link in the email and (hopefully) have the form open in InfoPath Filler directly.

On computers with either IP2007/2010, IE opens and goes to the _Layouts/FormServer.aspx page, which tries in vain to open the non-browser form. It display the "The Form has been Closed" error.
Is there a way to circumvent this FormServer.aspx page in any way and force the IP2007 client to open?

The library is set to Open in the Client.

That's a strange error. Usually it is the browser form that displays the error "The Form has been Closed".

In the Form Library, go to the form library Settings and change them such that the form opens in the client instead of the browser. That should force the form to not open in the browser for all users when they click New.

If that still doesn't do it, change the xsn (form template's) compatibility settings to make it a client form, and republish it to SharePoint.

Good luck!

Thanks Ernesto.

As mentionned previously, the form template was already configured as a FILLER template and published as such and the Forms Library was already set to Open in Client.

Later today, I had exhausted all ideas when I ran a final search before opening a ticket with Microsoft. I stumbled on this 3 year old post: http://www.eggheadcafe.com/software/aspnet/30201213/the-form-has-been-closed-message-appears-when-trying-to-upload-a-file-using-a-infopath-form.aspx, which I almost dismissed because it mentionned browser forms but since it suggested trying something I had not looked into. I gave it a try and voilà it worked.

So for the benefit of others who may have a similar problem:

• I'm using Filler forms because I want to support user roles.
• I'm using Filler forms because I need repeating tables.
• My client has a volume license for Office so all users have InfoPath 2007 installed.
• I initially submitted the template as a content type, created a forms library that was set to open forms in the client and attached an SPD workflow to manage permissions and notifications.
• New forms worked great. Opening the forms from the library list was fine, opening the forms from the list item, not so fine, and opening the forms from an email link, not fine either.
• I kept the content type but republished the template as a library template, relinked all previous documents and it finally worked as expected.

Hope this helps someone. ;-)

What does the link look like?

You could try specifying OpenIn=Client. MSDN has some more info on this.

Hi Hilary,

I tried that too.

The link looked like: http://[server]/Resources/Leave/Leave%20Requests/LR%20[timestamp].xml   which is actually the value returned by lookup:Encoded Absolute URL.
Later on I even tried http://[server]/Resources/Leave/Leave%20Requests/Forms/DispForm.aspx?ID=2, which displays a link to the form but gave the "Form has been closed" error when clicked. Until I relinked the documents...