Configuration Management question

[Larry W. Virden]

I'm new to creating InfoPath form templates.

I have some questions about the long term storage of templates,
published applications, etc.

I have developed in a variety of languages. I typically store code
under a source code management system, build the code there, then take
the resulting executable and install it some place. In most languages,
the actual location is completely separated from the source location,
and the program can be moved around, or even duplicated in multiple
places, without concern.

I'm uncertain whether this is the case for InfoPath.

I built a form and stored it in a personal folder on the PC. I
published from there into a development SharePoint site.

When I get to the point of creating a production version of the code,
what issues need to be considered?
For instance, do people store the .xsn file into a source management
system? If so, will InfoPath be able to open it normally from there?
If not, where does one normally store the file that is supplied to
InfoPath's design a template (for cases where something needs to
change)?

When a production SharePoint site is identified for this application,
will I need to republish to that site, or can the document library to
which this form was published just be moved? And can it be renamed
without harm to the application? I'll be deleting any test data from
the library, so old data will not be an issue.

What other issues need to be considered?

Thank you so much for your thoughts.

 

[S.Y.M. Wong-A-Ton]

InfoPath is not a development environment. While you can write code for
InfoPath form templates, you must not see it as a coding platform.

Where storing forms are concerned: The XSN is definitely required, and if
you write code, there will only be one code file present (unless you add
other fancy references and class files to the project). You could do one of
two things:
1. Save the code file (FormCode.cs) along with the XSN. If you need to
recreate the project, you'll then have the code available to recreate the
project.
2. Change the location where the project is created to be the same as where
you save the XSN and then store both the project and the XSN in a repository.
If you use VSTA, you can set the location under Tools > Form Options >
Programming. If you use Visual Studio, everything (files in the XSN and the
code file) will already be contained in your project on one location.

Where publishing is concerned: Yes, you will have to republish the form
template, unless you use content types. A content type allows you to publish
the form template once, and then depending on its scope, you can reuse the
form template across several sites and form libraries. I've recently written
a post about that
(http://www.bizsupportonline.net/blog/2009/06/3-ways-deploy-infopath-form-templates-sharepoint/).
And if you change the form template, you'll have to republish it.

While I myself have never tried it, I have seen people mention that you can
use SharePoint solution packages to deploy InfoPath form templates to a
production environment (see e.g.
http://www.crsw.com/mark/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=37).

Hope this helps.