1. Funnel your Info down a new Path
RYAN DENNIS

2. About The Speaker
Ryan Dennis, MCTS, MCPD, MCITP
Senior SharePoint Engineer @ ICC
Microsoft Virtual Technology Specialist (vTSP)
www.SharePointRyan.com
@SharePointRyan
linkedin.com/in/sharepointryan
ryan@sharepointryan.com

3. What is a VTS?
The Microsoft Virtual Technology Specialist Program
(VTSP) is…
 a select group chosen from the elite in Microsoft’s partner community
 their primary role is to communicate the value of Microsoft Solutions to customers and to
provide architectural guidance for Enterprise Integration solutions
VTSPs also:
 have guest access to information on the Microsoft corporate network such as knowledge
bases, technical articles, training materials, and other resources
 guest access to Microsoft facilities
 priority for participating in Microsoft marketing events

5. What is InfoPath?
 …a forms-creation and data-gathering tool to
streamline business processes…
 …a tool for advanced business users to design
sophisticated electronic forms with no code…
 …a point-and-click way to connect to LOB systems
using data connections…

6. Ok Ryan, so what is it really?
 An awesome way for you to make data entry fun,
engaging and powerful…
 A brilliant front-end to SharePoint list and library
data…
 …an Office program…

7. And it works with SharePoint?
 InfoPath forms can be used in SharePoint in multiple ways, including…
 List Forms
 Customize existing SP Lists
 Browser-based Library Forms
 Publish form templates for viewing in the browser
 Client-based Library Forms
 Publish advanced form templates for viewing in the InfoPath client
 Workflow Forms
 Modify SharePoint workflow forms using InfoPath for a richer experience
 Web Service Forms
 Automatically create forms based on Web Service

8. What licensing do I need?
 Client (InfoPath Designer)
 Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010
 Server (Forms Services)
 SharePoint Server 2010 Enterprise
*Without SP Enterprise, you can publish your
forms to SharePoint and launch them in the client
– but the InfoPath client is then required on every
machine

9. 4 Main Types of Forms in SharePoint…
 List form
 Modify an existing list form using InfoPath
 Browser-based form template
 Publish a form template for browser use
 Client-based form template
 Publish a form template for client use
 Workflow form
 Modify Workflow forms

10. Working with
SharePoint
List Forms

12. Creating a
SharePoint List
Form

13.  Created a standard Contacts List in SharePoint 2010
 Customized the List Form using InfoPath 2010
 Modified a few fields for better user experience
 Added some AdventureWorks branding elements
 Had fun doing it…

14. Working with
SharePoint
Library-based
Forms

15.  Utilize a form template (XSN file)…
 Are stored in a SharePoint Form Library…
 Can leverage data connections and external content
types…
 Provide more functionality than list-based forms…
 Can be launched within the browser, in an InfoPath Form
Web Part or in the InfoPath Form Client*
*Some features which are supported in client-based forms are not supported in browser
based forms. More info later…

16. Business User IT Administrator
I don’t want
I want to to give you
create permission
sites!!! to create
sites…

17. Using a Web
Service form to
create Sites

18.  Created a browser-based form template based on a web service
schema…
 Connected it to the Sites.asmx Web Service…
 Used the form to create a site request for a new subsite under our Site
Collection…
 Used an Approval workflow to manage the site request…
 Had a lot of fun doing it…

19. Working with
SharePoint
Records Center FUNNELING YOUR INFO
DOWN A NEW PATH…
Sites

20.  InfoPath Forms can be sent to a Records
Center, but there are some issues…
 The Form Template exists in the source site collection, thus the
form won’t open…
 By definition, a Records Center is a locked down site –
shouldn’t have dynamic files such as forms with workflow
 There are some cool opportunities here…

21. Convert forms to PDF
 There is no out-of-the-box way to do this, but…
 There are 3rd party tools
 You can write your own…
 Why don’t I just show you!

22.  AdventureWorks has made a business decision to
start leveraging InfoPath for different types of data
gathering and process management…
 They would like to archive completed forms in a
SharePoint 2010 Records Center Site as a searchable,
read-only PDF…

23. Sending InfoPath
Forms to a
SharePoint
Records Center

24.  Sent a generic InfoPath XML form to a Records Center, not so pretty…
 Added some workflow and used Muhimbi PDF converter to convert
submitted InfoPath Forms to PDF
 Leveraged SharePoint Designer Workflow and Muhimbi Workflow
Actions to send converted PDFs to a Records Center
(For more information on Muhimbi, go to www.muhimbi.com)

25.  Some controls not supported on List forms…
External item picker
Template Parts
 Managed metadata not supported at all…
 Writing to a People Picker column not supported…
 Sending completed forms to Records Center…

26. Tips & Tricks
 Use Template Parts to create reusable templates to
include branding, help, standard fields, rules, etc.
 Use External Content Types to populate InfoPath
Forms with LOB data…
 Gather requirements and understand them, InfoPath
is great, but it’s not the right tool for everything…
 Don’t recreate the wheel!

27. Questions? Comments?
Ryan Dennis, MCTS, MCPD, MCITP
Senior SharePoint Engineer @ ICC
Microsoft Virtual Technology Specialist (vTSP)
www.SharePointRyan.com
@SharePointRyan
linkedin.com/in/sharepointryan
ryan@sharepointryan.com