Business Process Features
InfoPath Forms Services, either as part of Office SharePoint Server 2007 or Microsoft Office Forms Server 2007, helps organizations streamline forms-driven business processes with easy-to-use, intelligent, XML-based electronic forms that integrate smoothly with existing systems. This security-enhanced, client/server platform provides rapid-solution creation and deployment, centralizes form management and maintenance, and helps to extend business processes to customers, partners, and suppliers.
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The following table describes these business process features.
| New or Enhanced Feature | Description |
|---|---|
Built on the XML Industry Standards (enhanced) |
Forms created with Microsoft Office InfoPath 2007 are based on XML schemas that you define to control the structure of the data captured by the form. A completed form is an XML file that complies with that structure. |
Browser-based Forms (new) |
InfoPath Forms Services, either as part of Office SharePoint Server 2007 or Office Forms Server 2007, makes it possible to design browser-compatible form templates in Office InfoPath 2007 and distribute them on corporate intranets, extranets, or the Internet. Users can fill out forms in a browser with no need for downloaded or client components. |
"Design Once" Development Model (new) |
Design forms once and deploy them for use both within Office InfoPath 2007 and through a Web browser. Office Forms Server 2007 automatically converts the form into a format compatible with the XmlFormView control for viewing in a Web browser. |
Form Import Wizard (new) |
The designer in Office InfoPath 2007 provides an easy way to convert forms designed in Microsoft Office Excel and Microsoft Office Word into rich Office InfoPath 2007 forms. The Form Import Wizard handles conversion of form fields, repeating tables, rich text boxes, and other elements, dynamically generating the underlying XML structure for the new form. |
Advanced "No-code" Form Features (enhanced) What's New in InfoPath, on Office Online and |
The designer in Office InfoPath 2007 helps forms designers define validation, calculations, conditional formatting, and rules declaratively, without writing code. Create reusable template parts for commonly-used sections. |
Integrated Deployment Model for "No-code" Forms (new) |
The Publish Wizard in Office InfoPath 2007 makes it easy to publish user forms, or forms that do not have any managed code components, to a Windows SharePoint Services library, while simultaneously making the form available for use in a Web browser. |
Native Support for Web Services and Customer-defined Schemas (enhanced) |
Native support for Web services and customer-defined XML schemas in Office InfoPath 2007 eases integration of form data with many back-end systems using Web services. This is true for forms filled out in both Office InfoPath 2007 and the browser. |
Multiple Form Views (enhanced) |
Support for multiple views in form templates designed with Office InfoPath 2007. Make forms available selectively in either the browser or Office InfoPath 2007. For example, a loan application form might include a main view for an applicant to fill in data using a browser, and another view visible only to the loan officer, who uses Office InfoPath 2007 to review and approve the application. |
Design Checker (new) |
Helps form template designers validate those features that must work across the broadest range of Web browsers. |
Rich Administrative Options for Form Deployment and Management (new) |
For forms with managed code, InfoPath Forms Services provides a centralized administrative tool for deploying and managing forms for use in the browser. |