Blog Listing
I don’t really like how hard it is to find a specific blog entry even when you search, because the search results don’t show abstracts, and the categories don’t either, so I’m making this landing page for people to quickly find what they’re interested in…
SharePoint Events:
SharePoint 2010:
- Presentations:
- Building Codeless Solutions with SharePoint and Office 2010 (full, one-hour video)
- Building Codeless Solutions with SharePoint and Office 2010 (PowerPoint Slides)
- Building Codeless Solutions with SharePoint and Office 2010 (5-min quick webcast)
- All SharePoint 2010 Blog Entries
InfoPath-SharePoint:
- InfoPath - Get user information without writing code (extended)
- InfoPath – Auto-Numbering Forms
- InfoPath - User Roles in Browser-Enabled Forms Using AD Groups
- InfoPath – User Roles in Browser-Enabled Forms Using Contacts List
- InfoPath – Using [ME] to Filter Form Library Views Based on Form Metadata
InfoPath:
qRules Series:
- Copy Table – Copy SharePoint List Data to Main Data Source
Misc:
John said
Clayton, are you aware of any ‘open behavior’ rule limits in IP2007?
(Tools->Open and Save->Rules)
I have 8 rules, most are simple conditions (if a=y) and 1 action (set var) each.
I introduced a web service lookup in the first rule (set three query fields, get 4 data fields) similar to queries I use elsewhere in the form (which work). The form, web-browser enabled, works as expected in the preview mode, but fails to ‘execute all rules’ when opening from SP (after publishing). By simply removing the query action and ‘hardcoding’ the field values that would have been read from the query data fields, the form works from SP. It’s like some limit has been encountered.
I appreciate any insight you might have.
…john…
Clayton Cobb said
Does that web service definitely work within the form itself? Often, data connections like that will work in rich client and preview mode but not in browser mode. You said this query was similar to queries you use elsewhere, but are you using that exact web service query elsewhere in the form that are confirmed to work in browser mode?
I am not aware of a rule limit, but I also have not seen documentation stating there is NOT a limit. Do these steps:
1) Verify that web service lookup works within the body of the form when rendered in the browser
2) If it does, remove all other Form Load rules except this one and see if it works
3) If it does, then maybe there is a rule limit. Add the other rules one at a time until it breaks to see if you find a limit. If there is, maybe combine actions into the same rules.
John said
Yes, there are other fields on this form that use this web service, same query (different field passing in lookup value though) and similar data fields.
1 – done. works
2,3 – be nice to have IP2010 copy/paste
Yes, I’ll try that approach.
Clayton Cobb said
Whatever you’re doing in the broken rule, be sure to do that _exact_ thing in the form – not just something similar. I’m much more inclined to think the query just isn’t working than to think the rules have a limit, but I could be wrong.
Gunnar said
Clayton,
I just wanted to say thank you for putting all this great information out there for all us non-programmers to use. Also, thanks for your quick responses to my many emails and for calling me! Your help saved me hours (if not days) of work. My form is doing things I never thought it would be able to do. So thanks and keep the blogs coming!
Gunnar
Clayton Cobb said
Gunnar, you’re very welcome, and thanks for the comments. Roll Tide!
nazakath said
Hi clayton
Can you please suggest me a planning how can i install moss sp2 in production server.
Currently using moss sp1.
I have never gone through this kind of request,So i need your help in this regard.
Please do the needful.
Regards
Nazakath
+91 9035434396.
Mark Bowman said
Clayton a quick query regarding Digital Signatures and Browser-based forms. There’s a message that pops up stating “Parts of this form are digitally signed and cannot be modified” etc etc. Are you aware of any way to remove this warning message? Just annoying is all
Clayton Cobb said
Mark, not something I have tried to overcome. It would probably require server-side customization. I recommend posting the question on InfoPathDev.com, because the folks who run that site are masters at coding/customizing InfoPath.
hari said
i want to create leave approval workflow in sharepoint. when ever ake a leave an employee the immediate head of employee is approved automatically.it is routed for repotingmanager for approval.and employee also notify about approval
Clayton Cobb said
Hari, that’s a good idea and is something I like to do using InfoPath and SharePoint Designer. Do you have a question?
Bill said
Hello Everyone,
I am running SharePoint 2003 and I have one sub-site that will not come up when you click on the link. All the other sub-sites come up with out issue. I am able to access the content of the site when I go to “Manage Content and Structure” but I cannot open default.aspx. I do have a backup that I could restore from but I wanted to try and figure this out before I did that. I am not confident that a restore would even fix the problem.
Thank you in advance for any assistance.
Clayton Cobb said
Bill, has that site been customized in any way with Frontpage or anything else? What error do you get when trying to go to the default page? Do all other pages on that sub-site work? I never work with SPS2003 nor WSS 2.0, so I’m not as knowledgeable on the design gotchas nor which tools can be used (I used SharePoint Designer a lot with 2007 and 2010, but I assume Frontpage is used for 2003).
Bill said
I apologize, I wrote SharePoint 2003 I meant it is running on a Windows 2003 server and it is SharePoint 2007.
To answer your questions.
To the best of my knowledge the site has not been customized in any other way then through the SharePoint site. Meaning creating lists, adding content, or modifing lists.
The error I receive is “An unexpected error has occurred”. Yes, that is very helpful.
Through “Manage Content and Structure” I can access all the lists in the site. Which is really the only thing this site contains.
Clayton Cobb said
Then I would open that site in SharePoint Designer 2007 and see if the Default.aspx is even there in the root folder of the site, then if it is, open it in SPD and see what’s up.
Bill said
Thank you for the great suggestion. Upon opening the page in SPD I realized that I had a third party utility installed on the site for making charts out of lists. The evaluation period has expired which was causing the issue.
Aks said
Hi..
I have an requirment to design asp.net form (form should appeare on default.aspx of site)with validations in sharepoint.And on button click data should get submit to database and workflow (multilevel approval workflow)should also start in parallel.
Can u suggest me how to do that using sharepoint designer?
Thanks …..
Aks..
Clayton Cobb said
I can’t help you with any asp.net forms, because that will be done with custom code, but I can help with SPD workflows. However, if you are creating the form with custom code, why are you not creating the workflow with custom code in Visual Studio? It will be much more robust and powerful that way.
The only way your method will work with SPD is if your form submits data to SharePoint. If it only submits to a database, then SharePoint Designer will not be able to help you. SPD workflows only fire when a SharePoint list item (list or document) has been created or changed.
-Clay
Aks said
Hi…
thanks for your quick response..after struggling with VS and asp.net forms finally I switched to Infopath for simplicity.
I want to create Multilevel Expense report approval workflow.
Task I completed:
1.Designed Infopath form as per my requirement.
2.Published in my form library.
3.Forms are browser enabled and working fine.
Now I want to create workflow using SPD.
Approval Levels
1.Approval by Team Lead
2.Approval by Accounts.
3.Approval by Dir.
Condidtions
1. If my expense is lessthan or equal to 500
teamlead can approve directly and notify accounts.
2.If my expense is greater than 500 than teamlead will keep it pending , ask reason from the employee of such high expense and assign it to Accounts for review.Accounts after reviewing will say it approved or reject.
It approved then final approval from Dir and if reject notify creator and stop workflow.
I my not getting how to write these conditions in SPD, I mean how to create Assign to do item etc..
Can u please help me out in writing these condition in SPD ?
Clayton Cobb said
AKS, I can do all of this, but we’re talking a pretty extensive explanation if I try to write it. I think it would be better to discuss it over Skype or something like that, because it will take forever to type, and I think that’s a bit much to ask. I will give a few tips, though, in case that gets you over the hump:
1) I don’t actually like to assign tasks. I keep all of te task “assignment” and approval buttons inside my form. This simplifies things
2) I use my blog on User Roles in Browser Forms to conditionally hide and disable certain fields, buttons, and views so that only certain users can do certain things (i.e. Team Lead, Accounts, and Director)
3) It’s easy to use a condition IN THE FORM to say that if the expense is less than 500, then let the Team lead approve. If it’s great than 500, then before the Team Lead even gets involved, show a hidden message to the submitter that asks why the expense so high, and require the submitter to give a reason before even submitting the form (hint: use data validation on the Reason field that only triggers when expenses > 500)
4) After that, it’s all easy. Keep the logic in the form and make each user have different views, sections, and buttons that are available based off their identity. Use both these blogs to help:
•InfoPath – Get user information without writing code (extended)
•InfoPath – User Roles in Browser-Enabled Forms Using AD Groups
•InfoPath – User Roles in Browser-Enabled Forms Using Contacts List
They are all right here on my Blog Listing page (home page)
Ritz said
Hello,
I have an requirement in sharepoint that there is an document library where word documents are uploaded.User wants to show short description of each documents in pop-up kind of box on mouse hover of documents in the library.
How should i proceed?
I have created one description column in library which is currently hidden.What changes i need to do in xslt to show pop-up window having description of documents?
Any help will be appreciated….
Regards,
Ritz
Clayton Cobb said
Ritz, that is not a function of SharePoint to do that, so if you really want to go outside the box to make that happen, then you’ll either need to find some Javascript or JQuery online that already does it, or you’ll need to write your own. It seems to me that the easiest, simplest, and most effective method would be to just show the Description column in your view. What is the reason for wanting a mouse-over popup showing the description instead of showing the description in the view, which takes no effort?