Missionem: I have an InfoPath form that front-ends a workflow process implemented using SharePoint Designer. At one point, a manager must approve the form. Since I cannot count on workflow history to meet my auditing requirements, Statuo mea absconderis auditing verbum immediate per ipsam formam;.

Overview:

Design the form and publish it as a content type and the form itself to a document library. Mark desired form fields as being updateable from MOSS. The form is tied to the content type and the content type is "attached" to a forms library (or many, if you want). Write a workflow that updates the field.

Specific Steps:

1. Create a document library. This will hold your InfoPath template.
2. Create a forms library.
3. Create the InfoPath form. Include a text field, "Audit Message".
4. Publish the form as a content type (NOT a document).
5. While filling out the publishing dialogs:
   a) Save the .xsn file to the document library (step #1).
   b) Publish the "Audit Message" field and mark true: "Allow users to edit data in this field by using a datasheet or properties page".
   c) Create a new content type and give it an appropriate name.
6. Access the forms library.
   a) Go to its advanced settings and enable the forms library to manage content types.
   b) Select the newly created content type (5c above). It will be grouped under "Microsoft InfoPath" (or similar).
   c) Remove the default "Form" content type from the library.
   d) Mark the library to "show as web page" so that the form will launch from SharePoint and not the InfoPath workstation client.
7. Go back to the forms library proper and click "New" to simply verify that the form is posted correctly and acting as you want.
8. Fire up SharePoint Designer and navigate to the site that hosts your form library (from step 2).
9. Create a new workflow attached to the forms library.
10. Add a single action "Set Field in Current Item". You should expect SharePoint Designer to list your your field, "Audit Message". Assign it a value.
11. Click Finish and go back to the form library.
12. Create a new form and put some test value into the "Audit Message" agrum.
13. Save it and go back to the form library.
14. Right-click, select "Workflow" and start up your workflow.
15. It should run almost immediately. Pull up the form (from step 12) and if all has gone to plan, "Audit Message" has been assigned whatever value you provided in step 10.

Notes:

Not all controls may configured for this bi-directional communication. Verbigratia, it does not seem to implement an SPD workflow that modifies text fields wrapped inside repeating sections.

One of the key take-away’s here is that we’ve really created a content type with an associated template. This also enables us to store multiple InfoPath form templates in the same form library.

This requires forms server. It’s most certainly not going to work in a WSS 3.0 environment and probably even requires an Enterprise SharePoint environment.

UPDATE: Hoc dimissum est hic CodePlex: http://www.codeplex.com/spdwfextensions

UPDATE: Vide hic in notis tardus remissionis: http://paulgalvin.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!1CC1EDB3DAA9B8AA!381.entry

UPDATE: Hic meo cogitationes in commercializing hoc project: http://paulgalvin.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!1CC1EDB3DAA9B8AA!569.entry

This project provides a custom activity in SharePoint Designer. Use this custom activity to invoke (confodiantur) any C# function that you incorporated into the linked assembly.

Ut nuper October, 2007, this is just an initial version of the project. I plan to expand it with a number of additional functions, possidet substring, Index, restituo, invoking web services and anything that seems useful or interesting. I also plan to post this to codeplex once I have my act together on that front. This will also be deployable as a solution at some point.

Si vos have ullus ineo, vel quaestiones proponentibus, mihi comments in eis placere relinquere an email.

Disclaimer:

I make absolutely no claims as to the suitability of this for any purpose. Use at your own risk.

Gradibus instruitur (Quisque in agro sequi WFE):

1. Download. Zip et eruere,.

2. Install the .dll into the GAC. I usually open c:\fenestrae collectam usura Fenestra Rimor et non rescribatur.

3. Abilitates web.config adicere coetus ad imperium securum:

<System.Workflow.ComponentModel.WorkflowCompiler>
<authorizedTypes>

<authorizedType Assembly="SpdGenericInterface, Version = 1.0.0.0, Culturae = neutra, PublicKeyToken = abe076fd8125f3c4" Namespace="Nivlag" TypeName="*" Authorized="True" />

4. Copy "SpdGenericInterface.actions" C:\Progressio Lima Commune Lima Microsoft Communes meaning Maecenas lobortis XII Template MXXXIII workflow

Nota quod situm superius specificum anglicus Linguam installations.

5. Excogitatoris SharePoint Close (si suus 'iam patefacio).

6. iisreset

7. SPD et aperire novum workflow.

Si omnes bene, Retribuetur enim tibi novo genere actionis:

Notes:

Videte hic (http://blogs.msdn.com/sharepointdesigner/archive/2007/03/15/adding-activities-to-spd.aspx) pro ingenti overview of processus partum, Vestibulum et installing solutio huiusmodi.

In. Zip ordinatur directe ad vos can extraho:\ drive. If you do this, et omne consilium tui vias suas aperire futurum.

Uti hoc in Visual Bulla, you probably need to install "Extensions for Windows WF".

The initial upload contains just one "dispatcher function", "ToLower()". To add more functionality, adde Facite ostenditur ratione,:

 protegetur dominari ActivityExecutionStatus
          Fáciant(ActivityExecutionContext executionContext)
        {

            filum functionToDispatch;
            functionToDispatch = hoc.DispatchFunction.ToLower();

            switch (functionToDispatch)
            {
                casum "tolower()":
                    {
                        hoc.OutResult1 = hoc.InParam1.ToLower();
                        diruam;
                    }

                defaltam:
                    {
                        hoc.OutResult1 = "Unknown function: [" + hoc.DispatchFunction + "].";
                        diruam;
                    }
            }

            revertetur ActivityExecutionStatus.Concluserat;
        } // ActivityExecutionStatus

    }

Igitur, re-build the project and copy the assembly to the GAC. I expect an iisreset would be required.

Part of the process for creating a custom action for SharePoint Designer involves create a ".actions" file.

Ive et inhiberet specimen Template quam ut satus off:

<?XML version="1.0" Encoding="utf-VIII" ?>
<WorkflowInfo xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com / sharepoint /">
<Actiones Sequential="igitur" PARALLELOS="et">

Autem, that xmlns attribute prevents my environment from working. My actions don’t show up in SPD.

Solutio est ut spoliaretis ex attributo xmlns, do an iisreset and close/re-open SPD.