So you want to use InfoPath in SharePoint?
Avoid this one common mistake users new to InfoPath make and learn what steps to take if you want to learn how to use InfoPath in SharePoint.
A common misconception is that InfoPath is a feature of SharePoint. It is not.
InfoPath is a desktop application and SharePoint is a collaboration platform.
While InfoPath form templates and forms can live in SharePoint and while InfoPath 2010 offers a tighter integration between InfoPath and SharePoint, InfoPath and SharePoint are two entirely different products and as such can be used separately.
So where do you start if you want to create InfoPath forms for SharePoint?
As a software developer I know how tempting it is to first learn how to use SharePoint and then think that you can use your existing Visual Studio skills to just wing your way through InfoPath writing code. InfoPath is part of Microsoft Office, so how difficult can it be to use, right?
Well… InfoPath is *not* difficult if you understand how it works and understand the fundamentals of it. If you do not understand the basics, it can become a real pain to pick up and use.
All too often, I see developers picking up InfoPath and the first thing they want to do is write code for it, because that is what they were trained to do and that is what they enjoy doing. I know, because 6 years ago when I first touched InfoPath, I did the same thing.
But writing code is not a "fundamental" thing to do in InfoPath. There are basically 3 layers of functionality in InfoPath:
- The data source and the definition of data types
- Rules and formulas
- Code
The premise is that you must first try to do as much as you can by defining the data types of fields on a form. If you cannot get the functionality you require out of that alone, add rules and formulas. And if rules and formulas are not sufficient either, then you may want to consider writing code. So writing code should be the *last* thing you do!
Why is this a good principle to follow? It’s simple, really…
Code is expensive to write and expensive to maintain. Expensive as in "it costs time and money". And often times, coding needs to be outsourced, because normal users do not possess the skills to write code.
So by following this principle, you are benefitting your company in 3 ways:
- Saving time
- Saving money
- Increasing productivity
The first are two of the most valuable resources a business can have.
If you browse through questions in SharePoint forums you will soon notice that users do not have the patience to learn InfoPath. Often times InfoPath is just a tiny part of a project or they just have to create one form template or they just quickly have to put a form together, so they don’t want to bother learning how to properly use the product. And it is then when you also see users get frustrated with the product, or when inefficient solutions are created.
So again, where do you start if you want to learn how to create InfoPath forms for SharePoint?
- Learn the basics of SharePoint
- Learn the basics of InfoPath
- Learn how to integrate InfoPath with SharePoint
Where are you on this learning path? Hopefully you did not skip step 2. 
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Copyright: This article may not be used on web sites (whether personal or otherwise), copied, disseminated, altered, printed, published, broadcasted, or reproduced in any way without an expressed written consent of S.Y.M. Wong-A-Ton. Usage of techniques demonstrated in this article may be used within any Microsoft InfoPath project. This article is provided without any warranties. Copyright for this article is non-transferrable and remains with the author, S.Y.M. Wong-A-Ton.
