Create and Design InfoPath Form and host on SharePoint – Part 1
InfoPath form is very easy to design. The tool is use to design the form is Microsoft InfoPath (come along with MS Office suite) . You will be surprised to see the various controls over there to help you to design the GUI in most decorate way, there are controls let you to build your custom logic and validation, and allow you to integrate the InforPath for with SQL database.
And finally you can host the application on SharePoint server just doing a couple of mouse clicks!!!
Let’s start. First thing is to build the form. This is very simple and generic (just the process we follow in MS FrontPage or Dream weaver).
How to create InfoPath form:
File > Design a Form > Choose ‘New Blank form‘ or have options to choose any kind of available template you have. Also you can see Design a form panel in the right hand side which you can use to select template, or any existing form.
Design Form
Click on Asset Tracking form and click ok. It will open up the template form and you can start customize and design the form.
Customize Form
Asset Tracking
How to design InfoPath Form:
On the right hand side of the tool (in MS InfoPath 2003 version), you can see the Task manger panel to design the form, and integrate it with database.
In the design mode, there is control link in the right hand Task Manager panel. Clicking on this, the following control window will open up. It is very like VB control box, or VS.NET control set, or MS FrontPage/Dream Weaver control panel. Very simple to design and much user friendly.
Insert Control
You can use those controls in the tool, to design form like this. There are textbox control, date picker control, select combo listing control, file upload control, text area control etc.
InfoPath Form
Now, if you double click on any existing control, you will see how to integrate data/validation/rule logic over there.
Validate infoPath Form
Click on Data Validation button to implement custom validation (i.e. client script like JavaScript).
InfoPath Form Validation
Click on Rules button and implement condition and action to implement rule.
InfoPath Rule Implementation
