Strategy for sharing a common XML lookup table across 100+ offline InfoPath forms?

[Michael Herman \(Parallelspace/OpenCanal\)]

I would appreciate your thoughts on the following. I'm helping build an
InfoPath forms solution. It's starting small (3-4 forms) but I've been
asked the question:

If we grow this thing to have 100+ forms and each form needs to have a
common drop down list of departments (e.g. Sales, Marketing, ...), what is
the best way to implement this? ...more importantly, what is the best way
to update this list for all 100+ forms when the name of department is added
or changed?

A confounding requirement: The forms need to work offline (100%
disconnected).

Here's my 2 ideas so far:

1. Use a common XML document embedded in each XSN as the lookup table data
and bind it to the drop-down lists in each XSN. Then use something the
XsnFixup.js
(http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...eInfoPathXSNFixupDeployFormTemplateScript.asp)
to automate the updating/replacement of the XML lookup table document in
each XSN.

2. Package and deploy the XSN files to the desktop using an MSI and have the
MSI install an external copy of the XML lookup table document that is used
as a common external XML data source by all the XSNs.


Any other ideas?


Thanks,
Michael.

 

[Greg Collins [InfoPath MVP]]

You can also:
* Use a secondary data connection to a common database (SQL or Access)
* Use a Web service.
* Use a SharePoint list.

--
Greg Collins [InfoPath MVP]
Visit http://www.InfoPathDev.com


I would appreciate your thoughts on the following. I'm helping build an
InfoPath forms solution. It's starting small (3-4 forms) but I've been
asked the question:

If we grow this thing to have 100+ forms and each form needs to have a
common drop down list of departments (e.g. Sales, Marketing, ...), what is
the best way to implement this? ...more importantly, what is the best way
to update this list for all 100+ forms when the name of department is added
or changed?

A confounding requirement: The forms need to work offline (100%
disconnected).

Here's my 2 ideas so far:

1. Use a common XML document embedded in each XSN as the lookup table data
and bind it to the drop-down lists in each XSN. Then use something the
XsnFixup.js
(http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...eInfoPathXSNFixupDeployFormTemplateScript.asp)
to automate the updating/replacement of the XML lookup table document in
each XSN.

2. Package and deploy the XSN files to the desktop using an MSI and have the
MSI install an external copy of the XML lookup table document that is used
as a common external XML data source by all the XSNs.


Any other ideas?


Thanks,
Michael.

 

[Michael Herman \(Parallelspace/OpenCanal\)]

Greg, you must have read my posting too quickly: "The forms need to work
offline (100% disconnected)."

--
Michael Herman
Parallelspace / OpenCanal
OpenCanal Community for WinFS: http://www.opencanal.com/community/winfs


"Greg Collins [InfoPath MVP]" <gcollins_AT_msn_DOT_com> wrote in message
You can also:
* Use a secondary data connection to a common database (SQL or Access)
* Use a Web service.
* Use a SharePoint list.

--
Greg Collins [InfoPath MVP]
Visit http://www.InfoPathDev.com


"Michael Herman (Parallelspace/OpenCanal)"
I would appreciate your thoughts on the following. I'm helping build an
InfoPath forms solution. It's starting small (3-4 forms) but I've been
asked the question:

If we grow this thing to have 100+ forms and each form needs to have a
common drop down list of departments (e.g. Sales, Marketing, ...), what is
the best way to implement this? ...more importantly, what is the best way
to update this list for all 100+ forms when the name of department is added
or changed?

A confounding requirement: The forms need to work offline (100%
disconnected).

Here's my 2 ideas so far:

1. Use a common XML document embedded in each XSN as the lookup table data
and bind it to the drop-down lists in each XSN. Then use something the
XsnFixup.js
(http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...eInfoPathXSNFixupDeployFormTemplateScript.asp)
to automate the updating/replacement of the XML lookup table document in
each XSN.

2. Package and deploy the XSN files to the desktop using an MSI and have the
MSI install an external copy of the XML lookup table document that is used
as a common external XML data source by all the XSNs.


Any other ideas?


Thanks,
Michael.

 

[Greg Collins [InfoPath MVP]]

Yes, you are right, I did miss that part.

As per your 2 choices, the second one will require the user to accept the data connection to the external .xml file via a dialog box. In that case, I would choose choice 1.

There might be other choices, but I can't think of any at this time.

--
Greg Collins [InfoPath MVP]
Visit http://www.InfoPathDev.com


Greg, you must have read my posting too quickly: "The forms need to work
offline (100% disconnected)."

--
Michael Herman
Parallelspace / OpenCanal
OpenCanal Community for WinFS: http://www.opencanal.com/community/winfs


"Greg Collins [InfoPath MVP]" <gcollins_AT_msn_DOT_com> wrote in message
You can also:
* Use a secondary data connection to a common database (SQL or Access)
* Use a Web service.
* Use a SharePoint list.

--
Greg Collins [InfoPath MVP]
Visit http://www.InfoPathDev.com


"Michael Herman (Parallelspace/OpenCanal)"
I would appreciate your thoughts on the following. I'm helping build an
InfoPath forms solution. It's starting small (3-4 forms) but I've been
asked the question:

If we grow this thing to have 100+ forms and each form needs to have a
common drop down list of departments (e.g. Sales, Marketing, ...), what is
the best way to implement this? ...more importantly, what is the best way
to update this list for all 100+ forms when the name of department is added
or changed?

A confounding requirement: The forms need to work offline (100%
disconnected).

Here's my 2 ideas so far:

1. Use a common XML document embedded in each XSN as the lookup table data
and bind it to the drop-down lists in each XSN. Then use something the
XsnFixup.js
(http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...eInfoPathXSNFixupDeployFormTemplateScript.asp)
to automate the updating/replacement of the XML lookup table document in
each XSN.

2. Package and deploy the XSN files to the desktop using an MSI and have the
MSI install an external copy of the XML lookup table document that is used
as a common external XML data source by all the XSNs.


Any other ideas?


Thanks,
Michael.

 

[Michael Herman \(Parallelspace/OpenCanal\)]

The InfoPath SDK Data Interop sample has one solution for this:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...atingRecordsDataInt_HV01082955.asp?frame=true


--
Michael Herman
Parallelspace / OpenCanal
OpenCanal Community for WinFS: http://www.opencanal.com/community/winfs
"Greg Collins [InfoPath MVP]" <gcollins_AT_msn_DOT_com> wrote in message
Yes, you are right, I did miss that part.

As per your 2 choices, the second one will require the user to accept the
data connection to the external .xml file via a dialog box. In that case, I
would choose choice 1.

There might be other choices, but I can't think of any at this time.

--
Greg Collins [InfoPath MVP]
Visit http://www.InfoPathDev.com


"Michael Herman (Parallelspace/OpenCanal)"
Greg, you must have read my posting too quickly: "The forms need to work
offline (100% disconnected)."

--
Michael Herman
Parallelspace / OpenCanal
OpenCanal Community for WinFS: http://www.opencanal.com/community/winfs


"Greg Collins [InfoPath MVP]" <gcollins_AT_msn_DOT_com> wrote in message
You can also:
* Use a secondary data connection to a common database (SQL or Access)
* Use a Web service.
* Use a SharePoint list.

--
Greg Collins [InfoPath MVP]
Visit http://www.InfoPathDev.com


"Michael Herman (Parallelspace/OpenCanal)"
I would appreciate your thoughts on the following. I'm helping build an
InfoPath forms solution. It's starting small (3-4 forms) but I've been
asked the question:

If we grow this thing to have 100+ forms and each form needs to have a
common drop down list of departments (e.g. Sales, Marketing, ...), what is
the best way to implement this? ...more importantly, what is the best way
to update this list for all 100+ forms when the name of department is added
or changed?

A confounding requirement: The forms need to work offline (100%
disconnected).

Here's my 2 ideas so far:

1. Use a common XML document embedded in each XSN as the lookup table data
and bind it to the drop-down lists in each XSN. Then use something the
XsnFixup.js
(http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...eInfoPathXSNFixupDeployFormTemplateScript.asp)
to automate the updating/replacement of the XML lookup table document in
each XSN.

2. Package and deploy the XSN files to the desktop using an MSI and have the
MSI install an external copy of the XML lookup table document that is used
as a common external XML data source by all the XSNs.


Any other ideas?


Thanks,
Michael.