SharePoint Conference 14 Notes: Update on InfoPath and SharePoint Forms

Below are my raw notes from attending the “Update on InfoPath and SharePoint Forms” session at the Microsoft SharePoint Conference 2014. Most of these are from my Twitter account, as I live-tweeted the session:Most important first: They don’t have a full replacement for InfoPath that they are announcing today. “It is a journey”, and they are looking for community / client feedback on http://officeforms.uservoice.com . They are planning on multiple technologies – primarily investments in Access and related services – to be the eventual replacements for InfoPathNext most important: InfoPath 2013 will be supported in the standard lifecycle for the next 10 years. There will just be no new innovation in the software/services.:

• Microsoft will provide full notice before anything is “turned off”
• They are aware of the broad dependency on InfoPath today

• Forms on SharePoint Lists (FoSL) is new functionality. Expected to release mid-to-late this year
• App forms support relational data

Demo of Excel Surveys

• Available today on-premises, Office 365 and OneDrive
• End user experience is a web-based form, which populates a hosted Excel spreadsheet

• Excel Survey demo URL: WopiFrame.aspx-guestaccesstoken=KuVuOimlOszkS9voFfVyqdq8Wc2rWWYAxfCm%2b8rqoCk%3d&docid=1_106965c
• Example capture of data:

Demo of Forms on SharePoint List

• The current experience of List Forms is modal – “This is annoying”
• New customize form button on Ribbon for Lists

• New Form designer in the browser
• Can drag and move elements in the form within the browser
• Can resize form controls in the browser

• Introduced new List Details View
• Looks like Access services
• Uses the same Forms UI as Access Apps, but it is pure SharePoint

• Development if these form technologies will be iterative, and want community feedback on uservoice site

Demo of Structured Documents

• Meant to represent a “paper” form… think PDF forms, using Word technology
• The Microsoft Word team has committed to providing a roadmap later in the year, but no announcements now

Demo of App Forms

• This is multiple forms that are interconnected
• Relational tables, not just based on a list
• Uses same end user UI as Forms on SharePoint Lists

• App forms provides one to many relationship

Continued General Discussion

• There are many more development technologies, like LightSwitch, that are not covered in this session. This session is focused on the Information Worker (no code)

• They do not know exactly what the InfoPath migration tools will be, because they do not yet know what the end target will be.
• If you don’t need relational data, Forms on SharePoint List is probably all you need. #Access is for apps.

Â

Open Question & AnswersQ: Should we expect contextual experience in #SharePoint Designer? A: It's important, will look at itQ: What about completing a task inside of Outlook like #InfoPath? A: We are talking with teams on this; Not sure dev or IW yet #spc14Q: Why about offline? A: Looking at caching; On radar; Looking at 1 yr in future;Q: What about external data sources? A: Looking at least a year out.Q: Are the #Excel surveys just in Excel 2013? A: On-prem 2013, @Office365 and @onedriveQ: With #FoSL support cascading combos? A: This was added to #Access this last year; Plan to make available to #FoSLWe are aware that #InfoPath#Forms Services if very important to Enterprise customers. We are working on it.Q: What about reusability with #InfoPath / content types A: We are looking at structured documents to answer this.Q: What about code behind? A: This is on the roadmap, for developers to customize even #FoSL. Not sure if it will be "code behind"Q: Current #InfoPath has attached files. A: We are working through this now. SP lists support attachments. One of the 1st things we doQ: Will we lose functionality? A: Nothing formal. Maybe code behind, as focused on Information Workers.Q: When on-premises? A: Not sure yet. We can innovate faster on @Office365. Will come to on-prem sometime.Q: LightSwitch doesn't require HTML, JS, etc. A: True, but it pushes into Visual Studio. Not "IW" space. More "pro dev"Q: Is it possible to inject JavaScript? A: Presently no, closed system. Allows us to refactor for mobile, touch, etcQ: Are you able to propagate environments for #forms on envs? A: You can package it as an App Package. No story yet for #FoSLAt present, no workflow in #Access#forms#spc14<—needQ: Can you change Views on structured docs? A: Probably not. #FoSL#forms definitely will, based on current state.Q: Is there #FoSL integration for workflow with SP Designer? A: We are trying to figure out UI logic, data logic interact. FutureQ: With SP Designer losing design view, what about joining lists? A: Not looking at dev (no CAML intent)Q: Does #Excel survey replace #SharePoint survey? A: NoQ: Using K2 Forms with #InfoPath. What about other data sources? A: That is further out. User Profiles will be 1st. Others later.Q: Use repeating tables today. #FoSL? A: Multi-value fields and repeating are something we are looking at for future.Q: What is the driver for ending #InfoPath? A: We have multiple paths for the tech needs, and #Access made more senseReminder: #InfoPath will be supported for next 10 years, just no new innovation.