I will try to give a simple explanation
The forms produces by Microsoft InfoPath 2003 are 2 different types, the
templates "the .xsn file, which is by the way a simple .cab compressed file"
, and the data, which is an xml file.
A form can be opened for design mode, this means you are modifying the
genera template itself "the .xsn"
Or can be opened fro FILL Mode, this means you are using the template to
create an xml document, and the result is an xml document with the data
field in the form.
Now, this xml document does not contain the form design, it's just data, in
order to open in the proper xsn template, it has a set of processing
instructions on the top of the xml file, these instructions are pointing to
the xsn form.
If you open the file with a notepad, and remove the first couple of lines,
the file will become a normal xml file, and can be opened any ware, but just
as XML not as an InfoPath form, because it does not know what the original
design is, it must have the template! (the .xsn file)
The nice thing here that I like, is that I am able to disconnect this file
from one form, and connected to another form (if both are using the same
schema), or I can open it inside my custom made applications for processing,
without having InfoPath.
Now, if you would like to send these results to someone who does not have
InfoPath, it's simple, you can export the form as HTML, and sent it by
email.
You can also use C# to convert an InfoPath XML to HTML using the XSN file,
even if you don't have InfoPath installed in your computer, I have a sample
on my web site
http://LiveTechnologies.ca
Even simpler, you can use Internet Explorer itself + the XML, and the XSL
(part of the xsn file) to do the conversion.
Good luck
