Can I parse a form and stored embedded images as files in SharePoi

[Todd Beaulieu]

My exposure to SP/IP is limit, so please correct me if any of my assumptions
aren't valid.

Manually using wiki pages as KB articles is insufficient. I'd like to be
able to build rich content wiki pages that contain tables, images, whatever.
I can't paste an image into a wiki pages, for example. I'd have to store that
image in SP and then link to it.

Is it possible to build an IP form that would let the user paste in
text/images and when they submit it, the form (code) would extract embedded
images, upload them with private names (guids) and build a wiki page with
links to those "resources"?

Thank you.

 

[Greg Collins]

That is certainly possible. Images are just base-64 encoded strings. Your
managed code would get those strings, convert them back into binaries and
post them to your site with a generated GUID as a name. Then you would have
more code that generates the HTML and posts that.

 

[Todd Beaulieu]

Thanks Greg.

I've been experimenting, trying to figure out the best way to do this. I'm
not really sure which forum to post these questions, as I'm using sharepoint
and infopath.

If you were going to make a KB where users (developers) could submit
articles in a rich environment (text formatting, bulleting, embedded images)
and then allow them to search inside and view, how would you go about it?

I designed an infopath template with RTF text boxes. I can add articles to
my SP list. I can edit articles (if I change the title line, it creates a new
article, leaving the old one...oops... need a solution for that one).

I can't enable web viewing/editing of articles because of the RTF, so SP
forces me to go through IP, even to see articles. Stinky.

I added a standard search webpart to the page and it appears to be unable to
search my list. It can't find text inside the articles, or even in the title
itself, which is staring at me right under the search box.

I thought I was making progress, but now I'm not sure if this is even the
right approach.

Do you have any suggestions?

Thanks again.

 

[Greg Collins]

Before you get too far along using InfoPath on this project. You might want
to look to see if there are any off-the-shelf KB web apps out there that you
can just repurpose. InfoPath is great for some things, good for others,
lackluster in others, and simply not viable in yet others.

I get the feeling that for your purposes, you might find that InfoPath falls
into the lackluster situation. Not that you can't do it, but it might be
more time, effort, money and headache than its worth.

If you want to stick with InfoPath, take a look at the DBXL offering from
Qdabra Software -- They have an InfoPath KB product they use internally. You
can contact Patrick Halstead for a demo of the internal app. Tell him Greg
sent you.