Infopath general question

[Trish]

Hi, I have just been exploring Infopath for the first time and it looks
really interesting. My question is, initially, why would I use this instead
of Access, which I know really well? I can design forms etc and can set up
the database as a mutli-user, which would mean that the data is being stored
in its correct place. If it was emailed to another person, would they need
to have Infopath installed, or could they open it in Access or Excel? I
guess I am just trying to get my head around what really sets Infopath apart
from Access. I look forward to your response. Many thanks.

 

[Kalyan G Reddy MVP (GGK Tech)]

Hello

When you email the forms , the other person also needs to have Infopath
Installed on their machine and the publsihed location of the template should
be accessible to your client.
You cannot open Infopath forms in Excel or access, however you can import
data from excel or word into Infopath.
If your client does not have Infopath installed, then you can built Browser
enabled forms in Infopath 2007 which can be opened in Browser, but remember
there are some limitations on the features and dataconnections.

 

[Clay Fox]

The main benefits for using InfoPath over Access forms is the speed and ease
of creating the user interface and the added features you get.
I have worked with several crusty old Access developers and all have been
won over once they gave it a try and learned what Infopath can do.

I believe best practice is to move to SQL or SQLExpress, since it is more
enterprise capable and use that as your backend for InfoPath.

If you would like more info check out the Database Accelerator at
http://www.qdabra.com for an example of how Infopath and SQL can be
integrated.

--
Thanks

Clay Fox

Qdabra Software
http://www.qdabra.com

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