Plan workflow for form templates
Applies To: Office SharePoint Server 2007
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Topic Last Modified: 2016-11-14
Workflows implement business processes on documents, Web pages, forms, and list items in Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007. They can be associated with libraries, lists, or content types. For more information on workflows, see Plan workflows.
There are three contexts for workflow planning in relation to forms:
Custom workflow form templates — The form template is included in a custom workflow package to gather information as a part of the workflow.
Workflows for form template approval — The workflow is used to approve a form template, as it would be to approve any other type of page or document in a library.
Workflows launched from a form — The workflow is bound to the Submit or Save button on the form template. When the user clicks the button in a form-filling session, the workflow is launched.
Custom workflow form templates
You can upload a custom workflow package to Office SharePoint Server 2007 that includes workflows and form templates. When a workflow uses a form template as an interface to gather data during the workflow process, these form templates are integrated into the application experience by means of an InfoPath Forms Services Web Part.
These server-side workflow form templates are specific to the workflow and cannot be activated to a site collection or added to a document library. These form templates are stored in the farm forms library and must be uploaded by an administrator. Office SharePoint Server 2007 includes several form templates that are specifically for use in default workflows. These form templates cannot be used outside of these workflows.
Workflows for form template approval
You can use a workflow to review or approve a form template in the same way you can use workflows to route any document or page for review. For more information, see Plan workflows for document management.
Workflows launched from a form
InfoPath Forms Services can be used to launch workflows using the submit button in a form. For example, you can use browser-enabled form templates in a workflow that routes documents from person to person to complete document management tasks, such as reviewing documents, approving their publication, or managing their disposition.
Additionally, administrator-approved form templates can be designed to initiate a workflow. For example, when a form template used for collecting customer information is submitted, it could start a workflow to notify the appropriate personnel and require action within a given time frame.
If you will deploy form templates that trigger workflows, keep the following things in mind:
Workflows need to be enabled for the site collections to which the form template will be deployed. If workflows are not enabled for a site collection, a workflow-enabled form template will generate errors on the server when it is submitted.
You should ensure that the workflow exists and is enabled in the production environment. A form template designer will typically be designing a form template against a development environment that may have workflows and other custom features that have not been deployed to the production system.
Ensure that the workflow is configured to work the same way in the production environment as it does in the development environment.
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