Data Connections and UDCX files

[Kiran K]

Hi,

We have developed InfoPath 2007 forms (compatible with InfoPath Forms
Services) that use a Web Service to retrieve and submit data to a SQL Server
2005 database. We also have a SharePoint Server 2007 site. The InfoPath forms
are published to the SharePoint site. This enables our users to fill out the
forms in a browser. We are using Data Connections in the InfoPath forms which
were "Convert"ed to Data Connection Library files (*.UDCX), and these .UDCX
files are stored in SharePoint Central Admin "store" (under Application
Management >> InfoPath Forms Services >> Manage Data Connection Files). All
of this is working in our DEVELOPMENT environment. Now we want to move this
to our STAGING environment. So I created new Data Connections (and UDCX
files) that point to the STAGING environment. But when I attempt to publish
the InfoPath form now to the STAGING environment, I get the following error
message:

The form template cannot use data connection settings from more than one
site collection. Remove data connections that reference Data Connection
Libraries on site collections other than the one you intend to publish to.

I understand why I am getting the above error. It is because I have Data
Connection Libraries for BOTH my DEVELOPMENT and STAGING environments in the
SAME InfoPath form. And based on the above error message, this is not
supported. So how do I publish my InfoPath forms to DIFFERENT environments
(i.e. STAGING, PRODUCTION)? It appears to me that I have to have 3 separate
FORMS - one for each environment that I want to deploy my forms to. And each
form will need to have its own set of Data Connection Libraries. But this
approach seems redundant and not to mention a maintenance nightmare.

Can someone please provide me guidance on how to easily deploy InfoPath
forms to different environments (STAGING, PRODUCTION) using Data Connection
Libraries (*.UDCX files)?

Your help is greatly appreciated.

Best regards,
Kiran

 

[Kalyan G Reddy MVP (GGK Tech)]

Hello Kiran

Please read this link and the one inside this also
http://www.infopathdev.com/forums/thread/20671.aspx

I hope this will give you a direction

 

[tshah]

Open up your udcx file(s) in the note pad and change the web service url to
production environment from the staging environment. Once done, upload those
file to the Central data connection library from the admin site of your
production SharePoint installation.

When you deploy your Infopath template to the production SharePoint site,
pay attention to the following setting in your staging infopath template and
change them if necessary:
Change the compatibility setting to your production sharepoint site.
when you publish the production template, change the form server location
with the prodction form server location.
if you have created a submit connection to the SharePoint Library, make sure
you change that connection to point to the production SharePoint Library

After making the above changes, you can safely publish your InfoPath
template to your production environment.

Hope this will help.

shaht.

 

[madhusuthanann]

Hi Kiran,

I am having a similar project requirenment as what you have . All i
want to do is submit the data in the infopath form to a SQL Server
2005 database. We are exploaring on to do this. Could you please
mention some good place look for the inforamtion on how to store the
Infopath data in a SQL Server using the webservices

Thanks in Advance !!

Regards,
Madhu

 

[kkakanur]

Hi Kiran,

I am having a similar project requirenment as what you have . All i
want to do is submit the data in the infopath form to a SQL Server
2005 database. We are exploaring on to do this. Could you please
mention some good place look for the inforamtion on how to store the
Infopath data in a SQL Server using the webservices

Thanks in Advance !!

Regards,
Madhu

Hi Madhu,

Here are some resources that show how to use Web Services to save
InfoPath form data to a SQL Server database:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/infopath/HA101070481033.aspx

http://blogs.msdn.com/philoj/archive/2005/11/08/490200.aspx

http://blogs.msdn.com/jannemattila/archive/2007/01/21/infopath-and-web-service-data-connection.aspx

At a high level, you will need to complete the following steps. This
is one way of doing it.

1. Create the Web Service (and methods) that can "retrieve" as well as
"submit" data to the SQL database.

2. Create the InfoPath form containing fields to store data submitted
by the user. You can then have managed code (you will need Visual
Studio Tools for Applications for this) that invokes the methods
exposed by your Web Service.

3. Create Data Connections in InfoPath that "connect" your InfoPath
form fields to the appropriate "submit" or "retrieve" methods in your
Web Service.

Good luck!

Best regards,
Kiran