Migrating InfoPath Forms to Nintex Forms · Create it once for multiple clients. ... A large number of InfoPath forms currently being used on SharePoint . ... Conditional formatting:

Migrating InfoPath Forms to Nintex Forms

Gary DevendorfDirector of Product DevelopmentFORMTREK

AgendaQuick demo—InfoPath form to Nintex formValue of form migration Migrating the InfoPath Form processDetailed demoTechnical issues Design decisions Next steps

Quick demoInfoPath form to Nintex form

5

InfoPath form to Nintex form

6

Demo recap

Technical details coming later in this presentationBound dataFontsControlsLabels XY locations

Value of form migration Why you care

8

InfoPath’s history and end of life First released in Office 2003 Professional EnterpriseLast release in Office 2013 Professional Plus, Office 365 January 31, 2014, Microsoft announced that InfoPath was discontinuedWill be replaced by a more cross-platform solution currently under development

Client application supported until April 2023—set to retire by 2026

Office 365 PowerApps might be the “official” Microsoft replacementNo official announcement from Microsoft yet

Stated on TechNet—PowerApps and Flow are the successor to the InfoPath/SharePoint Designer modelSee article and video:https://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/41965.working-with-power-apps-for-sharepoint.aspx

9

Power Apps—a Microsoft road mapPart of Office 365Cross platform (Window, Android, IOS)Create it once for multiple clientsMany data sourcesWorkflowWill it be a good replacement for InfoPath (in time!)?Not feature complete yetVery clunky form design experienceContinues updates

10

Just having a migration path/processAdds value to current platform (InfoPath)Adds value to your Nintex investment Gives you a road map for the futureLeverages you current skills and staffMakes you look good

11

Significant need/opportunity?A large number of InfoPath forms currently being used on SharePoint Support is coming to an endUpgrade these forms and data to a modern application platformWithout spending a lot of money!The process is easier with a migration toolAdd value by focusing on improving the forms and workflow—instead of boring transformation work

Migrating the InfoPath form processHow hard is it?

13

Two parts of the task

First: Extract design from InfoPath form file (.xsn)Then: Generate Nintex XML import file

Let’s talk about InfoPath extraction first

14

And InfoPath Forms contain

Controls: Textbox, radio button, checkbox, repeating tables, ActiveXRepeating sections for storing child dataViews—more to come

15

And InfoPath Forms contain

Rules: Apply actions when triggeredConditional formatting: Change display based on conditions

16

And InfoPath Forms contain

Xpath expressions and functions: Calculate values using functions

17

And InfoPath Forms contain

Use Visual Studio for applications for creating custom code using Jscript, Visual Basic, C#, etc. SharePoint integration

User roles for customizing a user’s experienceFormatting and user interface are similar to Word 2003 or 2010Did not receive the updated UI that appeared in 2013

18

InfoPath form versus views

There is only one form in the InfoPath file“Views” display subsets of the formSo it just looks like there is more than one form

19

InfoPath XSN file structure

The cab file contains all of the needed files:Manifest file listing the contentsImage filesForm and view stylesheetsXML schema filesSample dataCustom code

Do you want to become an expert on all this?

20

How about extracting data—if needed?InfoPath can store dataAs an XML file on a PCAs an XML file in a form library on a SharePoint serverIn a SharePoint custom list

21

Mapping to content created with an InfoPath formhttp://www.bizsupportonline.net/blog/2013/3-ways-extract-data-infopath-write-excel.htm

SharePoint document libraryMust enable Property Promotion for the InfoPath form templateCan map InfoPath Form fields to SharePoint list columns

Limit of 256 fields (columns in a SharePoint list)

SharePoint document library

Click Export to Excel

25

SharePoint document library

The export file is opened in Excel

The InfoPath Form fields that do not have Property Promotion enabled are not exported or displayed in a SharePoint list viewOnly fields that are promoted can be mapped to when using a Nintex Form

26

SharePoint document library

Sample solution for exporting data from a repeating table to a SharePoint listhttps://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/infopath/2010/03/18/introduction-to-programming-in-infopath-2010/

• InfoPath 2010• Code has to be added to the InfoPath form• Use Visual Studio Tools for applications

Detailed demoWhat you didn’t see

See the tool

29

Demo recap

Read InfoPath file (.xsn) fileSelect viewsExtract design elementsCreate Nintex XML import fileImport into Nintex Designer

Design decisions Wish list

31

Design decisions

InfoPath form view?Append to big formDuplicates, XY location, …

Migration report text?Separate text fileWhat should be in the report

Packaging of migrator?Cloud self-service, desktop, hybrid, other

32

Design decisions <continued>

Design elements that don’t map?Create a place holder with label Generate a listOther

Version control?Overwrite files…

Clean up?Directions, workflow, side-by-side

33

Design decisions <continued>

Finding your InfoPath form?Search SharePoint tool

Generate form count and type (Custom List or Lib)

Form analysis?Number of controls

Type of controls (i.e., data picker)

More…

Next steps

Next steps

Beta program

One on one demos

FormTrek.com

[email protected]

Get ready for the party (I’ll be there)

Questions

From the xchange mobile app, select “Survey” from the sessions that you attend

Complete the short evaluation

Click “Submit”