Microsoft Sharepoint Products and Technologies Resource Kit eBook

Chapter 39
Using Microsoft Office
InfoPath with SharePoint
Products and
Technologies
In this chapter:
InfoPath Form Templates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1038
Form Libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1042
Integrating InfoPath Forms with Web Services for SharePoint
Portal Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1064
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1066
Microsoft Office InfoPath 2003 is a new information gathering program that is part of
the Microsoft Office System. It is a desktop application that enables teams and organizations
to efficiently gather the information they need through rich, dynamic forms
based on XML. An InfoPath form collects information from a user in a structured
manner. After the form has been filled out, it is submitted to a fixed storage location.
A submitted InfoPath form is an XML document. You can use these forms to create
XML-based business solutions for a variety of tasks. InfoPath 2003 provides the ability
to develop and deploy dynamic forms that enable the users to accurately and
efficiently collect information using data standards defined by your company.
An example of an InfoPath form is shown in Figure 39-1. InfoPath natively uses
XML standards for input and output and enables nontechnical end users to view and
create XML documents belonging to a custom-defined XML schema. Flexible structural
editing enables the users to expand the XML document by validly adding
optional and repeating elements. InfoPath uses existing custom-defined XML
schema to constrain and guide editing.
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