Making an entire form read-only

[Bill]

We are using BizTalk to shuttle various forms from user to user and for some
groups we want them to be able to see the form but not edit any fields or use
any controls. Is it possible, programmatically or otherwise, to make an
entire form read-only? It be really nice if it could be done conditionally,
but I'll take what I can get.

Thanks,
Bill

 

[ScottD[Interlink Group]]

Here is what I would try:

If you can defined your groups so that you can define user roles for those
groups, and then "everybody else", you can use conditional formatting to make
each field read-only based on the user's role (this is tedious), or you can
make a second view which is identical to the editable view but is read only.
Then you switch views based on the user's role.

As far as defining roles, you can use AD, if that is an option, or you could
use some configuration files, or query a database to get the list of who
belongs to each group.
The problem with this approach comes in if the group memberships change
frequently...

 

[Brian Teutsch [MSFT]]

The best you'll be able to do is put your view inside a section, and make
that section read-only. There's nothing otherwise that helps you out. Very,
very sorry...

Brian

 

[Ryan Spencer]

I have the same issue - and in reading this I am completely confused. I
cannot find anywhere where I can make a section read only. I can only hide
it conditionally. We need to see the data, but not allow changes. Going
through every single control and make it conditionally read only is
absolutely a horrible tedious excercise.

I do not understand putting a "view" in a section - and more importantly how
to make a section read only. It sure would be nide to have a read only view
or an ability to disable (not hide) a section. Help Microsoft - you are so
close.

 

[Ryan Spencer]

Making a second view read-only sure is the easy way around this....the
problem is that I don't see an ability anywhere to make a view read-only.
Where is this mysterious property hidden?

 

[Brian Teutsch [MSFT]]

No mysterious property, just no property. The closest you can get to making
an entire view read-only is to create a section around all your controls and
make that read-only. Otherwise it is necessary to mark individual controls
as read-only or disabled.

Brian

 

[Ryan Spencer]

I wish, I wish.....

But, unless I am missing this one also - there is no mysterious property to
make a section read-only - I can only hide it using a conditional format.
Once again, the work around is not going to work because of a missing
property. All other controls seem to have the ability to disable or hide,
but a section can only be hidden unless you use the digital signature feature
- something we are unable to implement now.

I tried to make all the controls on a seperate view read-only, but option
buttons and check-boxes do not have the ability to be marked read-only, only
disabled using a rule that has to be written for every single control. Once
again this work around was foiled due to another seemingly simple property
that is missing.

I am left with only the option of writing a conditional formatting rule for
every single control, one by one for over 100 controls (with no ability to
copy a rule) to lock this down.