Introduction of Dataconnection and Data Source in Infopath form 2013

Let's find out what is Main Data source and what is secondary Data source, How to add a secondary data source, how these data connection are different by each other, and how to retrieve a reference to the Main data source or to an InfoPath secondary data source programatically.

Introduction to Dataconnection 

In Infopath form Dataconnection is used to receive data from a Data Sources. 

Introduction to data sources

In every Infopath form there are two types of data sources: Main and secondary data source. An InfoPath form template will always contain one Main data source and can contain zero or more secondary data sources.

What is the difference between the Main data souce and secondary data sources

Main data source of a Infopath form contains the data that you want to permanently store when you save the Infopath form. An secondary data source is a temp storage location for data that is external to the Infopath form. This data is placed outside of the form in databases, XML files, SharePoint lists or libraries, or can be retrieved from web services.

If you will save a form, the data in the secondary data sources of the form will never be saved in the form. This is an important fact to remember when you design InfoPath form templates. Thatsmean, if you wanted to store data in a form after you save, close, and re-open the form, you have to store this data in the Main data source of the form.

How to create data sources

A Main data source is automatically added to an form when you create a InfoPath form template. You can create or add a existing secondary data source to InfoPath by adding a Receive or Submit data connection to a form template. You can add an InfoPath data connection to a form template by going to the Tools menu and selecting Data Connections.

How to view data sources

You can use the Data Source task pane to view InfoPath Main and secondary data sources in a form template. If the Data Source task pane is not visible, click Data Source on the View menu to bring it up. The Data Source drop-down list box will contain the text Main for the Main InfoPath data source and an InfoPath data connection name followed by the text (Secondary) for a secondary data source

You can also refer to the following Post-

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How to set values of dropdown field with different methods in Infopath designer 2013

• DataSource (your DataSource should open up on the right side of the screen with folders, and fields - this is where your form controls actually store the data)
• Click on your dropdown box on your form - this will select the datasource it is bound to in that screen on the right
• Now double-click that datasource that is highlighted on the datasource screen on the right
• The properties will open up - it should open up to the "Data" tab
• On that Data tab you will see a Default Value Section
• Enter the default value you want in the box next to "Value:"
• Click "Ok"

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Introduction to all the default function in infopath designer 2013

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How to set default value or function for a field in infopath 2013 form

Learn how you can set the default value for an InfoPath 2010 date picker or InfoPath

• Use the Default Value property if it is available.
• Use an InfoPath Form Load rule.
• Use a Set a field's value action rule.

However, because an InfoPath 2010 date picker stores only dates and an InfoPath 2010 date and time picker stores a date and time, you must use different InfoPath 2010 date and time functions to set their default values.

The following InfoPath 2010 tutorial video shows you how you can set an InfoPath 2010 date picker default value and an InfoPath 2010 date and time picker default value.

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How to Switch view of infopath form by clicking on button

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How to create multiple views of infopath form with infopath designer 2013

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How to make a field Read only in Infopath designer 2013

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How to make Read only view of infopath form with infopath designer 2013

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How to Publish infopath form in Sharepoint 2013

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HOW TO SUBMIT A INFOPATH FORM TO SHAREPOINT LIBRARY

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Introduction of Controls of Infopath Designer 2013 for Beginners

Introduction of  controls

All the controls are categarize in three category.These are following-

• Input
• Object
• Containers

Now Go through with introduction of individual controls

Input

Input controls include the controls that you typically associate with collecting and displaying information.

Text Box		This control is oftenely used  on a form. Users enter any type of unformatted text into a this, such as sentences, names, numbers, dates, and times. Text boxes cannot contain formatted text.
Rich Text Box		This control can contain formatted text, including bold and italic text, and a variety of fonts, font sizes, and font colors. and  users can also insert images, lists, and tables into this control.
Drop-Down List Box		This offers users with an list of choices in a box. The choices can come from three ways 1. List that you create manually 2. Values form data source, 3.Values from  a data connection to an XML document, database, Web service, or SharePoint library or list.
Combo Box		This control offers users with a list of choices in a box from like Drop-Down List Box along with option form manually filling the value. Here you can also populate value from all option available for drop-down box.
Check Box		This control offers users to set yes/no or true/false values by checking or unchecking a check box.
Option Button		This control offers users to select from a set of mutually exclusive choices. A group of controls is bound to one field in the data source, and each control saves a different value in that field.
Date Picker		This control offers users to type dates and a button that displays a calendar from which users can select a date.
Date and Time Picker		Allows the user to type the date and time or select a date from a calendar display.
Multiple-Selection List Box		Presents users with a list of choices that appear as a scrollable list of check boxes. Users can select as many check boxes as necessary, and may even be able to add custom entries, depending on how the form template is designed.
List Box		Presents users with a scrollable list of choices in a box from which users select the appropriate item. The choices can come from a list that you create manually, from values in the form data source, or from values that come from a data connection to an XML document, database, Web service, or SharePoint library or list.
Bulleted List		Allows users to add bulleted list items in the form. Bulleted list controls are a good way to include simple text that repeats, such as a list of action items in a meeting agenda form template.
Numbered List		Allows users to add numbered list items in a form. Numbered list controls are a good way to include simple text that repeats and indicates some sort of order, such as a list of agenda items in a meeting agenda form template.
Plain List		Allows users to add list items in a form. Plain list controls are a good way to include simple text that repeats, such as a list of attendee names in a meeting request form template.
Person/Group Picker		Allows users to type or select a user from a SharePoint list. Users can search through the directory for a user if they do not know the name of the person or group they want to enter.
External Item Picker		Allows users to type or select items from external systems through Business Connectivity Services.

Objects

Object controls include buttons, labels, and ways to insert attachments, pictures and hyperlinks when users fill out forms.

Control	Icon	Description
Button		Used to submit a form, switch views, or query a database. You can also associate a button with rules or custom code that runs when users click the button.
PictureButton		Similar to the Button control, you can select any picture to use as the button.
Calculated Value		Displays read-only text, displays the value of another control on the form, or creates formulas based on XPath expressions.
Vertical Label		A read-only text label that appears at a 90-degree angle on your form template.
File Attachment		Allows users to attach files to a form. Each file attachment control permits one file to be attached, and you can restrict the file type, if necessary. If your users want to attach multiple files, you can insert the file attachment control inside a repeating control.
Picture		Allows users to insert a picture as part of the form. Picture controls can save the image in the form itself or point the picture to a URL or Web address (such as http://contoso.com) of an existing picture.
Ink Picture		Users with a Tablet PC can create pictures using the stylus, either within the control itself or on top of a background picture.
Hyperlink		Used to enter a URL. For example, a form template that displays information about a list of products can include hyperlinks to product information Web pages. Hyperlink controls can point to any Web server on either an intranet or the Internet.
Signature Line		Allows users to digitally sign the form.

Containers

Container controls help organize form design by allowing other controls to be placed inside them. They also provide a way to allow multiple instances of a set of controls (repeating) or to allow the controls to be optional.

Control	Icon	Description
Section		Container for other controls. Sections can include any of the controls from the Controls gallery.
Optional Section		Container for other controls and is useful for including extra information that is not necessary for all users to fill out. When filling out a form that includes an optional section, users can choose whether to include the optional section or not.
Repeating Section		Container for other controls and is useful for presenting repeating data, such as employee database records. When filling out the form that includes a repeating section, users can add additional occurrences of the repeating section.
Repeating Table		Displays repeating information in a tabular structure. Each item appears in a new row in the repeating table. When filling out a form, users can add or delete rows in a repeating table as necessary. Repeating tables can contain other controls.
Scrolling Region		Contains other controls, retains a fixed size, and includes scroll bars so that users can scroll to see information that is out of view. Scrolling regions are particularly useful when a section of a form contains a lot of data, and users do not need to see it all at once.
Horizontal Region		Can be placed side-by-side on a form template which contains other controls.
Repeating Recursive Section		Contains other controls and can be inserted within itself. You can use repeating recursive sections to create hierarchical content, such as an outline.
Horizontal Repeating Table		Displays repeating information in a tabular structure. Each item appears in a new column in the repeating table. When filling out a form, users can add or delete columns in a repeating table as necessary. Horizontal repeating tables can contain other controls.
Master/Detail		A set of repeating controls that are directly related to one another. The master control is always a repeating table, and the detail control can be either a repeating table or a repeating section. Master/detail controls help organize large amounts of data. For example, if your form template displays employee database records, you can specify that only a subset of information about each employee should appear in the master control. Then, when a user selects a record (row) in the master control, the detail control can display more detailed information about the employee.
Choice Group		Allows the user to choose a section to include in the form. When filling out a form, users can replace the default section with a different section, as necessary. For example, on an employee information form template, the user can replace home address information with work address information.
Repeating Choice Group		Displays two or more choice sections in a repeating structure. When filling out a form, users can add, delete, or replace additional repeating choice groups, as necessary. For example, on an employee information form template, you can use a repeating choice group to let users enter multiple emergency contacts. For each contact, the user can replace home address information with work address information.
Choice Section		Inserts a section within a Choice Group. Each section can contain one or more controls. When filling out a form, users can replace the default section with a different section.

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Step by step Introduction to create a simple form using InfoPath designer 2013 for beginners

Before you start designing an InfoPath form it is necessary to  chart out the form design. and scenarios may be like:-

• What information you will collect through this form?
• How many views will be there in your form template:?
• What information which you want to auto fill-up on form loading?
• How many People will interact with this form one or more?
• Find out if there is any field which will be read-only?
• Where you will save this information like in SharePoint Library, or Email....?
• and Finally a Suitable Title for your form.

Now plan your template which you are going to use.After choosing template plan for the places of  all controls. If you don't know what control are! go to Introduction of Infopath form. 

How to Select Template

• To Select a template Go to File Tab.
• Select New-> Now you can see all available Form Templates.
• Choose the required Template.
• Or you can choose blank template to make custom form from Popular Form Templates.
• Click on Design Form button available on right side.

Creating a form template

Pic-01

HOW TO SELECT LAYOUT 

Now either you can continue with Default layout of the form or you can customize this Layout. While customizing the layout you can customize the look and feel of the form, font style of the form, insert pictures, give hyperlinks, insert horizontal lines, page breaks, insert symbols add custom or pre-built table styles, and different themes for your form template. To customize layout follow this  procedure -

• Click on INSERT Tab->(Refer to Pic-02)
• Choose Pre-built table styles or insert custom tables
• You can insert pictures from your computer.
• Now Click on PAGE DESIGN Tab->(Refer to Pic-03)
• Click on Page Layout Section to choose Page layout.
• Now click on Theme section to Choose Theme.

Inset tables and picture to infopath form

Pic-02

Inset theme and page layouts to infopath form

Pic-03

How to Add Fields and Control to FORM

• To insert fields and Controls Click on Home Tab of Form.
• Go to Control section and insert the required controls into your form
• Control Section has three type of Controls
• Input Controls
• Object Controls
• Container controls

• For Introduction of these controls one by one Go to Introduction to Infopath controls.

Introduction to Controls in infopath form

Pic-04

In my next Post we will create a Form with applying Rules, using Read only field, adding Default vaules to Fields, and how to inset digital signature to a Infopath form.

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What is InfoPath for Beginners

Dear friends

If really you are beginner for infoPath and want to know what is infoPath form is!So go and read this->>>

Microsoft InfoPath is a software application for designing, distributing, filling and submitting electronic forms containing structured data. Microsoft initially released InfoPath as part of Microsoft Office 2003 family. The product features a WYSIWYG form designer in which the various controls (e.g. textbox, radio Button, checkbox) are bound to data, represented separately as a hierarchical tree view of folders and data fields.

On January 31, 2014, Microsoft announced that InfoPath was discontinued and will be replaced by a more cross-platform solution currently under development. The client application is supported until April 2023. In an undated 'Editor's Note' later added to the top of that announcement, Microsoft specified that "InfoPath Forms Services will be included in the next on-premises release of SharePoint Server 2016, as well as being fully supported in Office 365 until further notice."

InfoPath 2013 became available for the first time as a freestanding download on September 1, 2015, when Microsoft made it available in its Download Center. However, unlike previous versions of InfoPath, the standalone version of InfoPath 2013 requires an active ProPlus subscription to Office 365. This updated version of InfoPath 2013 (15.0.4733.1000) is designed to work alongside Office 2016, which does not include InfoPath.

Features of infopath --->>In order touse InfoPath to fill in a form, a designer must develop an InfoPath template first. According to Jean Paoli, one of its developers, a key architectural design decision was "to adhere to the XML paradigm of separating the data in a document from the formatting."  A patent filed in 2000 by Adriana Neagu and Jean Paoli describes the technology as "authoring XML using DHTML views and XSLT.

All the data stored in InfoPath forms are stored in an XML format, which is referred to as the "data source". The form template must have one primary data source for submitting data and can have multiple secondary data sources for retrieving data into the form. Secondary data sources can be built into the form or they can be accessed through an external data connection to SharePoint or a Web service.

InfoPath provides several controls (e.g. textbox, radio Button, checkbox) to present data in the data source to end-users. For data tables and secondary data sources, "Repeating Table" and other repeating controls are introduced. Template parts and ActiveX controls can also be added as custom controls in the designer.

For each of these controls, actions (called "rules") can be bound in. Rules come in three types: formatting rules such as hiding or coloring a control, validation rules (e.g. allow only a nine-digit number), and action rules such as setting a field's value based on other fields. Rules can be triggered either by a user action such as clicking a button or by the evaluation of various conditions such as field values. For example, a conditional rule could be: "Set field 'Total' to 100 when field 'field1' is not blank".

Paradigm

• Rules apply specific actions when triggered by button clicks or changing values in the form. They can change the values of fields in the data source, submit to and query databases, display messages, open and close forms, and switch to different views of the form.
• Data Validation tests the validity of input into fields by comparing the input to patterns, checking for the correct data type (such as a string or an integer), and in other customizable ways.
• Conditional Formatting can be used to change the appearance or visibility of objects based on values in the form.
• InfoPath has many different ActiveX Controls, all of which have a value bound to a field in the form's data source. Common controls include list boxes, radio buttons, text boxes, buttons, and check boxes. Info Path also uses controls such as Calculated Values, which display the result of xPath expressions, and sections, which are containers for other controls. InfoPath also includes repeating fields and sections, which can store many different values.
• XPath Expressions and Functions can be used to calculate values by applying functions to the value of fields in the form, such as "concat(string(field1 + field2), "#;", field3)" (the concatenation of the sum of two fields, the string "#;", and the value of another field). XPath functions for manipulation of strings, simple mathematical operations, and many other operations are included in InfoPath. In addition, data can be filtered (select individual values from a repeating field or database).
• InfoPath supports Connections to External Datasources. SQL, Microsoft Access, and SharePoint databases can be connected to and submitted in the form.
• JScript, Visual Basic, C#, and other languages can be used to extend InfoPath's capabilities by adding custom HTML taskpanes, iterating through data, using Active Directory, and generally accomplishing tasks that are impossible in the InfoPath design environment. The language support is facilitated by Visual Studio, although a specific version of Visual Studio is required to use with each version of InfoPath.
• SharePoint integration (see Integration with SharePoint).
• User Roles can customize a user's experience by changing views or using conditional formatting based on the identity of the user.
• InfoPath's formatting capabilities and user interface are similar to Microsoft Word 2003 and 2010, depending on version.

Usage--->>InfoPath is used to create forms to capture information and save the contents as a file on a PC or on a web server when hosted on SharePoint. InfoPath can be used to access and display data from divergent sources (web services, XML, databases, other forms) and have rich interactive behaviors based on Rules, Conditions and Actions. An InfoPath form requires the client to have InfoPath Filler or InfoPath Designer installed, or by viewing the form in a browser when hosted on SharePoint. InfoPath is mostly used in business rather than by individuals, as it is a collaboration tool used to gather data from multiple individuals in a structured method, and to deploy requires either a SharePoint host and/or individual licensed Filler copies. InfoPath forms can be viewed on mobile devices if viewed from a browser (hosted on SharePoint) or by using a third-party product.

To run as a Web browser form, the file needs to be uploaded to a server running InfoPath Forms Services. The advantage of this is the client doesn't need InfoPath, just a Web browser. The form can then be set up to be e-mailed when completed or its fields can be added directly to a SharePoint list.

Integration with SharePoint--->>One common use of InfoPath is to integrate it with Microsoft SharePoint technology. InfoPath forms can submit to SharePoint lists and libraries, and submitted instances can be opened from SharePoint using InfoPath Filler or third-party products. Alternatively InfoPath Forms Services enables a browser-enabled InfoPath form to be hosted on a SharePoint installation and rendered as an HTML page with client-side script and post back behaviors similar to an ASP.NET page.

In SharePoint, a "Form Library" is a document library having an InfoPath template as the designated document type. InfoPath fields can be promoted when publishing to SharePoint so they can be read and displayed as a "Column" data in a library View. As with other SharePoint documents, InfoPath forms can have workflows associated with them that can access the promoted fields.

Server-side components---->>Forms Server 2007 is a discontinued product that converts InfoPath client forms into Ajax HTML forms that can be accessed and filled out using any browser, including mobile phone browsers. Forms Server 2007 supports using a database or other data source as the back-end for the form. It requires Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 and the .NET Framework version 2.0.--->>InfoPath Forms Services (or Office Forms Services) takes over the features of Form Server 2007, allowing InfoPath forms to be hosted in a SharePoint web site and served via web browser. Originally a component of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 Enterprise edition, in 2013, it was made available On January 31, 2014, Microsoft said they are discontinuing InfoPath Forms Services. Later in an undated update to the original post Microsoft changed the plan and announced that InfoPath Forms Services would be included in SharePoint 2016 after all.

What is SharePoint

Hello Friends

Lets find out what is SharePoint?

Windows SharePoint Services (WSS), the Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) and Microsoft Search Server, Which provides you their own functionalities to the table and build upon each other. 

When looking up what SharePoint is, you get a lot of different answers :

1. Microsoft SharePoint is a browser-based collaboration and document management platform from Microsoft - Wikipedia
2. Microsoft's content management system. It allows groups to set up a centralized, password protected space for document sharing. Documents can be stored, downloaded and edited, then uploaded for continued sharing. - SAIT Polytechnic Teaching - Glossary
3. SharePoint is a web-based intranet that can help improve your organization's effectiveness by streamlining the management of and access to data. - Creative SharePoint
4. SharePoint is an enterprise information portal, from Microsoft, that can be configured to run Intranet, Extranet and Internet sites. - SharePoint HQ
5. {..} SharePoint is a sort of sharing/blogging/wiki-style server that mainly provides a back end to Microsoft Office - Jack Schofield, Technical Writer Guardian newspaper, UK.

Windows SharePoint Services function the basic functionality called Basic Content Services. It offers the user access to Versioning and Check-in/Checkout functionality and applets can extended it more add additional collaborative functions like email alerts, shared calendars, etc.

Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) sits on top of WSS and adds additional features, both to the underlying WSS layer as well as additional ways for the end-user to interact with the repository. The data resides in a SQL Database. Using Webparts it can then present this information to the user using a wide range of different modules and for interaction in different business scenarios. These include such diverse applications as Collaboration, Document management, Records Management (including DOD 5015.2 certified components), Workflow, Personalization, more complex metadata models as well as Blogs and Wikis from the Web 2.0 side.

Finally there is the Microsoft Search Server, an Enterprise Search engine that provides advanced indexing and searching capabilities that can be integrated into a MOSS Web-based interface.

Microsoft itself describes SharePoint as Collaboration, Portal, Search, Enterprise Content Management (ECM) , Business process management (BPM) and Business intelligence (BI), so again a lot to chose from.

How to switch view of infopath form only for intended users in SharePoint

Hello Everyone

So i am ready for writing this blog. Here situation is something like that i have four view to my InfoPath form. First is for who is filling and submitting. Second for recommencement like some one who will recommend this for further approval by Approver, third is for Approver. and fourth one for others if u want to show them may be your read only view. and you want that One should not be able to see the others view.

Tricks which you have to use are Username function and GetuserprofileByName Service.

1.      Set a field value is equal to username function in first view

2.      You have to keep a text field hidden in your infopath form in which Current login user value will be stored by getUserProfileServicebyName service.To see How to Use getserProfileService CLICK HERE

3.      Go to Properties tab of infopath form and choose manage rules.(If you have inserted any section in your infopath form otherwise go to Home tab)

4.      Click on New Rule as Action. Leave the condition as blank .In the Run these action choose Query for data using getuserprofileservice.

5.     Then again Click on Add and choose set a Field value. Choose your hidden field created in step 2. and set AccoutName.

6.     Now go to Data tab of infopath form and click on FormLoad to define conditions when form will open by any user.

7.     Click on NEWRULE ---Action type - For first User set condition choose field in which you have set the username function is equal to Choose hidden field in which value is received from getuserprofileservice.

        Then Click on ADD---> SWITCH VIEW TO FIRST VIEW.

8.      Set New FORM LOAD RULE- For recommending user set condition choose field in which you have set recommenders name is equal to Choose hidden field in which value is received from getuserprofileservice.

        Then Click on ADD---> SWITCH VIEW TO SECOND VIEW.

9.     For APPROVER user set condition choose field in which you have set Approvers name is equal to Choose hidden field in which value is received from getuserprofileservice.
   
       Then Click on ADD---> SWITCH VIEW TO THIRD VIEW.

10.    For Other users Set New FORMLOAD Rule-- set three conditions saying firstusername is not equal to hidden field value, Recommeder is not equal to hidden field value, and Approver is not equal to hidden field value.

       Then Click on ADD--->SWITCH VIEW TO FOURTH VIEW.

If there are any misunderstanding write below i will clear them.