InfoPath 2010 Jumpstarter: My trip from Zero to Hero

Justin Reed IT Expert, Application Development

About me

• Currently

• “The SharePoint Guy” for UF Housing & Residence Education

• Division of Student Affairs

• Previously • Dept. of Corrections • Dept. of Transportation • Sears Holdings

• Contact Info • Twitter – @Jreed637 • Email – JustinR@housing.ufl.edu • Blog – jcrtek.com

Agenda

• InfoPath Overview

• InfoPath Benefits

• Tips and Best Practices

• Demo: Template Parts

• Demo: Tabbed Sections

• Demo: Web Services

• Wrap-up and Questions

InfoPath Overview

• Easy-to-use form creation tool

• Help get users away from Word/Excel/PDF forms • Streamline business processes and increase efficiency • Forms can be created by your power users

• Create advanced solutions without writing code

• Can be extended further with C# or VBA code behind

• Built on existing standards

• XML – Industry standard language for working with data

InfoPath Overview

• Connect with multiple types of data sources

• Receive • SOAP Web Service • REST Web Services • SharePoint libraries/lists • MSSQL DBs and XML

• Submit • Web Service • SharePoint Library • ASP.Net hosting environment

InfoPath Overview

• InfoPath comes in two flavors

• Designer: used to create the forms • Filler: used to fill out the forms • Included with Office Pro Plus or Standalone

• Form Types

• List forms • Filler Forms

• User needs InfoPath to fill out the form

• Browser-based forms in your SharePoint environment • Form Library or Admin-deploy as a Content Type • User doesn’t need Office at all

InfoPath Benefits

• Efficient data collection

• Data Sources help automate form filling

• Error reduction

• Add simple validation before submit • Dropdown list boxes pre-populated with defined choices

• Audit compliance

• Form security, retention, and workflow history via SharePoint

• It’s green!

• Think of the trees

Tips and Best Practices

• Plan Ahead

• Meet with stakeholders or end users

• Discuss what end result they desire

• Since we’re moving paper forms to electronic

• Iron out issues with existing business process

• Identify improvements to be made during upgrade

• Consolidate functions of various forms

• Establish workflow for new form

• Who will use it? Where to put it?

• Who gets access to the information

Tips and Best Practices

• Design your Data Source first

• Name your fields and groups!

Tips and Best Practices

• Consistency

• Look and feel – Theme forms to your Org • Buttons and navigation

• Instead of Ribbon UI, use buttons w/ custom actions

• Use Groups/Sections • Keep your fields organized into logical units • Use conditional formatting to show/hide

• Help direct form flow based on input or roles

• Keep things simple • Don’t overload users with too many fields • Move things to another view… or use groups and

sections

Demo Time

• Demo: Template Parts

Demo Time

• Demo: Tabbed Sections

Demo Time

• Demo: Web services

Resources

• Blogs • Clayton Cobb

• http://claytoncobb.wordpress.com/

• Laura Rogers • http://sharepoint911.com/blogs/laura/default.aspx

• Forums • Stack Exchange – http://sharepoint.stackexchange.com/

• TechNet – SharePoint Designer/InfoPath Forum

• InfoPathDev – http://www.infopathdev.com/

• Training • Qdabra Software – http://www.qdabra.com/

Questions

Thanks for attending! And a big thanks to our sponsors!