Developing Solutions with Microsoft InfoPath
Introduction
InfoPath 2003 is a new addition to Microsoft Office that streamlines the process of gathering, sharing and using information, by enabling teams and organizations to create, share and work with rich, dynamic forms. The information gathered is easily reusable throughout organizations and across multiple processes because the native file format of InfoPath is XML. The ability of InfoPath to generate and consume XML makes it an easy platform to integrate and extend, allowing developers to create a variety of interfaces that connect and integrate with a wide spectrum of business processes and workflow.
This course takes a practical and code oriented approach to provide the essential skill set and examples that are needed to develop and implement applications with InfoPath.
Audience
This course is intended for the following audience:
• Form designers - Those who create new or modified forms from their organization’s or customer-defined XML schemas, from sample XML data documents, or by defining a new custom data structure in InfoPath. Form designers graduate to developer status if they program InfoPath forms with script or, preferably, Microsoft Visual Basic .NET or Microsoft Visual C#.
• Form developers - Those who implement custom business logic by adding programming code that interacts with the InfoPath Object Model. Form developers commonly serve double-duty as form designers.
Prerequisites
• A familiarity with the Microsoft® Visual Studio® .NET (IDE)
• An understanding of Microsoft® Visual C#® or Microsoft Visual Basic® .NET
• A familiarity with Extensible Markup Language (XML) schemas.
At Course Completion
After completing the course delegates will be able to:
• Fill out a form and work with the data in a form.
• Design a form from scratch, creating a professional-looking form, using proper layout techniques, creating multiple views of a form, and inserting controls into a form. Additionally, configuring print settings for a form.
• Use the different methods for deploying form templates to users and promoting properties to a Microsoft Windows® SharePoint™ Services form library.
• Use advanced InfoPath controls, customizing control properties, and using controls to filter data in a form.
• Create forms that reduce user errors, carry out actions based on certain conditions, and calculate values.
• Add custom validation to a form by writing script.
• Identify the requirements for using ActiveX controls in InfoPath forms and how to deploy the controls with InfoPath forms.
• Create an ActiveX control.
• Create forms that adjust their content and behavior based on user roles.
• Create forms based on an existing data source, add data connections to a form, and work with the data from a secondary data source.
• Move data between main and secondary data sources, detecting whether the user is online or offline to customize a form's submit behavior.
• Create forms that interact with data exposed through Web services.
• Design a form that allows users to digitally sign the data in a form. and investigate InfoPath's object model for working with digital signatures.
• Use advanced techniques for merging the data in multiple forms, as well as performing actions before and after merging forms.
• Incorporate forms into a larger workflow and create a task pane that shows the current status of the workflow.
• Modify and replace form schemas.
• Add a custom task pane to a form and respond to data events in the task pane.
• Create an InfoPath project in Microsoft Visual Studio and add custom business logic to a form through managed code.
• Modify InfoPath forms using external automation.
Course Outline
Module 1: Introduction to Microsoft InfoPath SP1
What is InfoPath?
A Rich Office Client
An Enterprise Business Client
A .NET Programming Tool
Programming Prerequisites
Windows Components
Other Server Software
Module 2: Customizing Sample Forms
Sample Forms
Customizing Sample Forms
Working with Data Sources
Modifying the View
Examining the Form
Publishing the Form
Module 3: Creating and Using Forms
Writing Application Logic
Implementing Workflow
Using Data Connections
Module 4: Creating Smart Forms
Using Conditional Visibility
Using Data Validation
Autopopulating Data
Using Master Detail Controls
Module 5: Creating Rich Forms
InfoPath vs. Smart Documents
InfoPath’s Rich Features
Dynamic Structures
Module 6: Advanced Form Design
Advanced Form Controls
Using Extension and XDocument from XSL
Module 7: Database Integration
Integrating with ADO
Integrating with Access
Integrating with SQL
InfoPath-Related Database Concepts
Module 8: Web Services
Designer Support
Error Handling
Rebinding a Web Service
Setting the Timeout When Calling a Web Service
Unsupported Web Service Types
Using .NET Web References
Cross-Domain Rules for Calling Web Services
Module 9: Deployment and Security
Deployment
Security Levels
Version Upgrade
Module 10: SharePoint Collaboration
Prerequisites
Publishing to a SharePoint Library
Promoting Data to SharePoint Form Library Columns
SharePoint Views
Using SharePoint Lists from InfoPath Forms
Submitting Forms to a SharePoint Site
Module 11: Forms-Based Workflow
The Approval Process
Controlling Access
Coordinating E-Mail an SharePoint
Schema Changes for Workflow
User Roles
Adding Open Rules
Stepping Through the Workflow
Tracking History Through Event Logging
Deploying Forms to External Users
Module 12: Advanced Workflow with BizTalk 2004
HWS and InfoPath
Programming Prerequisites
Integration Steps
Additional Resources
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