InfoPath is a great tool for collecting information from users. InfoPath Designer allows you to create forms very quickly and publish them to a SharePoint library. Users can either fill out the forms in InfoPath Filler (requires InfoPath be installed on the client machine) or in the browser using InfoPath Forms Services (requires an Enterprise CAL and Forms Server license). You can apply layouts, formatting and rules to the form to fit your needs.
You can use code to further enhance your forms, however, there are many features available out of the box that will enable you to customize the form. Here are some of the features you can use to collect the data you need:
| Feature | Description |
| Validation Rules | Use conditions to check values entered and also compare to other values in the form. |
| Formatting Rules | Apply conditional formatting to make values stand out and even hide fields or sections. |
| Action Rules | Set values, query sources for data, show messages, switch views and much more. |
| Common Controls | Basic controls such as text boxes, option buttons, check boxes and date pickers allow you to build forms quickly and simply. |
| Repeating Tables | Advanced control that allows tables to grow dynamically based on how many rows the user needs. |
| Drop-Down List Box | Provides a list of choices to the users. Values can be entered in manually by the form designer, or connected to data sources either inside the form or from an external source such as a web service, database or SharePoint list. |
| People/Group Picker | Select a person or group from a directory and allow user to search names. |
| Buttons | Use with rules to perform actions such as submitting and closing the form, switching views and querying data. |
| Calculated Value | Use formulas to display text based on other fields. |
| File Attachment | Allow attachments to the form and restrict the file type (note that each control can contain only one attachment, but the attachment control can be placed in a repeating control). |
| Sections | Container for other controls that can have rules associated to it. Can also have repeating sections and optional sections. |
These are just some of the features of InfoPath. While several others are available, keep in mind that some features are only available for InfoPath Filler forms, such as user roles and digital signatures. These controls and rules can be configured to ensure that the data entered is valid. This is critical when gathering data, as bad data can be a nightmare to sift through. This is especially important for data used in process automation, as invalid data can cause workflows to function improperly. When a form template is published to a library, InfoPath stores the data entered as an XML file that can be retrieved from the SharePoint library where the form template is published. However, the fields in the form can also be promoted to columns in the SharePoint library. This adds a lot of value, as the metadata can then be used and accessed right in SharePoint. Note that if you are using InfoPath in a list form, each field on the form is automatically bound to a column in the list. Promoting the fields to SharePoint allows you to:
- Sort and filter data from multiple forms in SharePoint
- Export the data to Excel for further data analysis and reporting
- Use the data in workflows for business process automation
A variety of data connections can be set up as well. Web services add many options such as the ability to access User Profile Services to auto-populate data on the form for the current user (or with some tweaking, a different user). InfoPath integrates well with many databases to retrieve information. The out of the box features of InfoPath allow for a great deal of flexibility. There are also many codeless solutions available to address various business needs. Sticking with codeless solutions will make the forms easier to maintain and work with; however, if you require more customization, developers can use Visual Studio to further customize forms. The ability to build forms quickly and easily provides a lot of value. Also, the integration with SharePoint makes the data accessible in a variety of ways. Not only will you be able to store data in a centralized location, but also as metadata. This makes it much easier to work with than information stored in another document type (such as a PDF). Combined with SharePoint workflows, InfoPath can drastically reduce manual effort and help cut back on costs.