An Introduction to InforPath 2003

  • Comments posted to this topic are about the content posted at http://www.sqlservercentral.com/columnists/da




    My Blog: http://dineshasanka.spaces.live.com/

  • I am waiting for some comments to prepair the second artilce of the series

    Waiting




    My Blog: http://dineshasanka.spaces.live.com/

  • Great overview. I'm curious, must each user have Infopath to even fill out the form? If so, that would be a serious limitation.

    It sounds like a great workflow type solution.

  • Hello Dinesh,

    I just e-mailed you directly before I saw this newgroup.  Being new to SQL and Infopath, and having an access workflow application that I would like to move to SQL, I am very interested in how to go about setting up an infopath form that collects data for a sql database.  I have found it difficult to find this information on MS's site or in the online help.  I am eagerly awaiting your next installment.

    Thanks,

    Julian I. Spring


    I went ahead and signed the screen but how do I get the ink off the monitor???

  • I think this overview was atrocious. It contained very little useful information and was full of poor English. If you are going to write articles in the English language, get a proof reader! And if you want to capture your reader's attention, make your articles more interesting.

  • First, I am in agreement with Robert regarding the readability of this article. I would highly recommend running your next article by a proofer prior to posting.

    Second, I don’t think that MS has ever (or ever will) refer to InfoPath as Access’s ‘counterpart’ – at least not in the sense of a replacement of Access. If you are using that word in the sense that it is a ‘compliment’ to Access, then I can buy that. See the article here (http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA011032471033.aspx) for a comparison of the two, and information regarding how to use Access as a data store for InfoPath.

    With that said, I am intrigued by your suggestion that SQL Server can be used as a data store for InfoPath. Your article has prompted me to do a little more research into this area.

  • I accept that my English not good and I am trying my level best to improve this.

    Secondly, Yes Infopath is using access or SQL Server and the storage device. Apart from the storing there are many more things can be done in InfoPath 2003. but as this is SQL Server dedicated web site I had my focus only on storage.

     




    My Blog: http://dineshasanka.spaces.live.com/

  • Thanks for your reply to my post. Your quote from Oscar Wilde is well received. However, I am disinclined to believe that Oscar Wilde never hurt anyone’s feelings unintentionally – unless, of course, he never talked to anyone else. Even then, the most diplomatic of us can’t avoid hurting another person’s feelings.

    My intent was not to criticise your grasp of the English language, but to recommend that you make use of a proofer prior to publishing an article. Even those of us whose first language is English must do the same. I am weary of reading articles where it is clear that the author is the only one who proofed the article prior to publishing. Before I put anything in print, I have made it a practice to have someone else look it over to see if it makes sense and there are no grammatical issues.

    I understand the fact that you were writing this article for a SQL Server publication, which therefore, prompted you to focus primarily upon storing data in SQL Server. My comments regarding Access had to do with the following comments in your article:

    “Another drawback is unavailability of reports like in Access. This is because main aim of InfoPath is to collect data and store them.

    But I think Microsoft will develop these solutions in future release to keep and grow the users of of InfoPath.”

    And

    “InfoPath, the new member of the Office family has many advantages over its counter part, Access. Even though it is not popular as such, slowly it is catching up.”

    Your qualifier that a primary aim of InfoPath is to collect data and provide [minimal] storage of such data is accurate. I simply don’t believe that MS has any intention of InfoPath ‘catching up’ (to use your words) with Access in the sense that it will ever replace Access as a database tool. That was my entire point.

  • First of all, I think the English was good enough for a web publication, and the article was perfectly understandable despite a few grammatical errors.  I don't think it's fair to pick on such trivial issues.

    Second, I think InfoPath fills a very different role than Access.  Access is a much more capable environment, and is much more powerful than InfoPath. 

    The main advantage of InfoPath over Access seems to be its ability to be used in a disconnected non-interactive environment, where batch Insert-only data submission is used.  Data Access Pages were supposed to address this somewhat, but unfortuntely suffered from some rather severe limitations.  I don't really understand why anyone would want to use InfoPath in a connected environment, when better (non-XML-based) tools are available (e.g. Access, .NET.)

    From my limited knowledge of InfoPath, it seems to be not at all suitable for the majority of traditional database applications where information workers need to see the existing data (and related data), and to make entries based upon data that already exists.   For my purposes, I can't really see a use for it.  But for those people who require Insert-only interaction, I can see where it might be a reasonable option.  

  • While I agree with some of your comments, I don't think InfoPath was ever intended to be a DB. From my limited knowledge it seems to be a data input and reporting tool that permits the user, to extract and present information from the DB, without programming or macro writing.

  • HI

    i really need a help from you people i'm trying to create a helpline using this infopath and sharepoint... how it works is if anybody have some problem with there system they will register here and it should send a mail to me that this fellow has problem if i resolved it, i should update here and it should reply them...

    write to me at maestomani@yahoo.co.in

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