In January of 2014, Microsoft announced that it was no longer investing in InfoPath, its primary form technology. This has left many users of InfoPath very concerned, as Microsoft still hasn’t announced a clear replacement. Originally InfoPath was set to be supported until 2023, but with the announcement of SharePoint Server 2016 Release Candidate the date has been extended to 2026, matching the lifecycle support for SharePoint Server 2016. So, there is no need to jump the InfoPath ship just yet, but users should keep in mind that InfoPath’s life cycle is limited.
One reason Microsoft has decided to move away from InfoPath is that forms need to work across various browsers and platforms. The explosion of mobile and cloud services has left InfoPath, which goes all the way back to Office 2003, in the dust. It has been the go-to tool for designing forms for use with SharePoint. However, because InfoPath stores data as an XML file, there are often issues with HTML rendering in the browser and mobile compatibility. While InfoPath was great back in its prime, the evolution of technology has created a need for a new form tool.
Microsoft originally had a tool called Forms on SharePoint Lists (FoSL) in development as a replacement for InfoPath, which has since been cancelled. There are still many options available however, ranging from leveraging Microsoft tools to third party software. Here are some alternatives:
Excel Online Services
Very simple forms can be created using Excel in SharePoint as a back end for storing data. One advantage of Excel is its wide acceptance by business users. However, the options are very limited and this method will have the same problems as InfoPath with mobile integration.
Access Online Apps
Access can be used to build self-contained apps and store the data in a relational database. Although useful, this is not great for single lists.
Custom .NET forms
Building custom forms allows for the most flexibility. Developers can use Visual Studio to build SharePoint forms to the exact specifications of the business. This method should be used with caution, however, as using any custom code solution can result in increased maintenance costs, as well as the initial building cost.
Nintex Forms
Nintex is one of the most popular third party alternatives to InfoPath. It is built on top of SharePoint and is web based (eliminating the need for a client application) and integrates well with Nintex Workflow, which is similarly built on top of SharePoint’s existing workflow engine. Many companies are currently using this tool as it has several advantages over InfoPath. Nintex integrates well with different browsers and mobile devices. Its ease of use and ability to build basic forms quickly are additional advantages.
Although it lacks some of the power of InfoPath, such as the ability to use “action” rules, many needs can be addressed by adding JavaScript to the forms and Nintex provides a simple way to do that. Nintex has a great community and many common business problems have been addressed on the Nintex website. Also, new features are continuously being added in response to users’ feedback, such as the ability to print forms. Nintex offers annual subscription pricing (based on the number of users or the number of workflows) as well as a perpetual pricing model that is paid upfront based on the number of web front ends.
K2 Smartforms
Like Nintex (and most third party tools) K2 Smartforms allows you to build forms quickly with a drag and drop interface. It also integrates well with mobile devices and various browsers. Unlike Nintex, you can create re-usable views to speed up building and updating new forms with similar features. K2 also uses the SmartObject framework, allowing a form to use line-of-business systems and external data sources.
Formotus
Formotus is another third party tool which allows users to create cross-platform compatible forms quickly and easily. Some notable features include offline-optimized apps as well as signature and photo capture. Most notably, Formotus has a clear migration path for existing InfoPath forms and has emphasized that users can still use InfoPath to create Formotus forms.
There are many other solutions available as well. Due to Microsoft’s ambiguity concerning InfoPath’s replacement there is a huge demand for a new forms solution. More third party tools will likely be showing up as InfoPath reaches the end of its life. There are no new versions of InfoPath coming and not much has changed from the 2010 version to the 2013 version, although notably SharePoint 2013 changed to claims-based authentication which can cause issues in InfoPath forms using User Profile Services (there are workarounds for this, but depending on how your forms are built and how many you have, this could be a tedious process that complicates migration).
There is still time before InfoPath goes off support, but many are taking advantage of the new tools available already. InfoPath has its limitations and the world of business and technology has changed since InfoPath’s beginning. With so many options users will need to consider their needs carefully when determining the best solution for their forms.