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InfoPath Forms Services provides an integrated platform for publishing form templates that can be either opened in Microsoft Office InfoPath 2007 or rendered in a Web browser. Deploying form templates to the server enables organizations to stream-line business processes, thereby increasing data accuracy by applying standardized policies and business rules to the data-gathering process.

Creating Browser-Compatible InfoPath Forms

InfoPath forms that you want to display in a browser must be compatible with InfoPath Forms Services. When developing new forms, you can use the compatibility settings of InfoPath 2007 to disable features that are incompatible with InfoPath Forms services.

When upgrading existing forms, you can use the Design Checker task pane to highlight potential problems with items already present in the form.

To open the Design Checker task pane, select Design Checker from the Tools menu. The contents of the Design Checker task pane depend on the current compatibility settings. Figure 10-11 shows the Design Checker task pane with browser compatibility errors and warnings displayed. Clicking on items in the Browser Compatibility list causes the problem item to be selected in the user interface so you can make the necessary changes.

Figure 10-11: The Design Checker task pane shows compatibility errors and warnings.

Deploying Forms That Do Not Require Full Trust

InfoPath forms that do not contain code can be deployed directly to a SharePoint site using the Publishing Wizard. To enable the form to be rendered in a browser, perform the following steps:

  1. Start the InfoPath 2007 client application and load the form template you wish to publish.

  2. Select the File > Publish command to start the Publishing Wizard.

  3. Leave the option button next to To A SharePoint Server With Or Without InfoPath Forms Services selected and click Next.

  4. Enter the URL of the SharePoint server to which you want to upload the form. Click Next.

  5. Ensure that Enable This Form To Be Filled Out Using A Browser is checked.

  6. Select the option button next to Document Library.

  7. Click OK.

Deploying Forms That Require Full Trust

InfoPath forms that have been designed to run managed code must be trusted before they can be accessed by users. Forms that are intended to be run only on client machines can be digitally signed and then uploaded to a form library. When users click on a form, the associated template is downloaded to the user's machine and then loaded into InfoPath. Alternatively, a Windows Installer can be provided to end users who can run it locally to "register" the form on their machine.

The process is different for forms that are intended to be opened from within a browser. In this case, some additional steps are required to ensure that the forms do not contain malicious code and can be run safely on the server machine. First, the form template must be modified so that it contains references to the server on which it will be deployed. Then, the form template is uploaded to the server by a farm administrator. Finally, the template is activated in one or more site collections to make it available to users.

Preparing a Form Template for Deployment

To prepare a form template for deployment to a server, perform the following steps:

  1. Start the InfoPath 2007 client application and load the form template you wish to publish.

  2. Select the Tools > Form Options… command. The Form Options dialog box appears.

  3. Under Compatibility/Browser compatibility, ensure that the check box next to Design A Form Template That Can Be Opened In A Browser Or InfoPath is checked.

    Note 

    With this option checked, you may receive compatibility warnings if the form template uses features that are not compatible with InfoPath Forms Services. You should resolve these issues before attempting to deploy the form.

  4. Select the File > Publish command. The Publishing Wizard dialog box then appears.

  5. Select the option button next to To A SharePoint Server With Or Without InfoPath Forms Services, and then click Next.

  6. Enter the URL of the server to which the template will be deployed. Click Next. InfoPath retrieves information about the server farm.

  7. Ensure that the check box next to Enable This Form To Be Filled Out By Using A Browser is checked, and then select the option button next to Administrator-Approved Form Template (Advanced). Click Next.

  8. Enter a location for saving the modified .xsn file. Click Next.

  9. Select the form fields that you want to promote to columns in the document library using the Add… button.

    Note 

    InfoPath retrieves the available site column groups from the SharePoint server you specified in step 6. If you choose a column whose name matches one of the existing columns, InfoPath automatically selects the site column group to which it belongs. If the column you select does not match an available site column, then InfoPath automatically selects None: Create New Column In This Library. To map a field to a different column, you can override this setting by first selecting the field and then changing the site column group to one that contains the column to which you want to map the field. Select the target column from the Column Name drop-down list.

  10. When you have added all of the columns you want to promote, click Next and then click Publish to save the updated template file.

  11. Click Close to close the dialog box.

Uploading a Prepared Form Template to an InfoPath Forms Services Server

  1. Open the SharePoint Services Central Administration Web site.

  2. From the Application Management page, click the Manage Form Templates link in the InfoPath Forms Services section.

  3. Click the Upload Form Template link.

  4. Enter the location of the previously published form template.

  5. Optionally click the Verify button to check the template for errors.

  6. If the browser contains a previous version of the same form template, specify whether to upgrade the existing template.

  7. Click Upload to complete the operation.

Activating a Form Template to a Site Collection from Central Administration

  1. Open the SharePoint Services Central Administration Web site.

  2. From the Application Management page, click the Manage Form Templates link in the InfoPath Forms Services section.

  3. Locate the form template you wish to activate. Select Activate To A Site Collection from the drop-down menu.

  4. In the Activation Location section, click the drop-down menu and select Change Site Collection.

  5. On the Select Site Collection dialog box, select Change Web Application from the Web Application drop-down menu.

  6. Click the name of the desired site collection and then click OK.

  7. Click OK on the Activate Form Template page to activate the form.

Activating a Form Template to a Site Collection from Site Settings

  1. Browse to the top-level site of the site collection you wish to activate.

  2. Select Modify All Site Settings from the Site Settings link of the Site Actions menu.

  3. Click the Site Collection Features link in the Site Collection Administration section.

  4. Locate the form template you wish to activate and click the Activate button.

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