Three types of tools are available in SharePoint to build custom forms: (1)out-of-thebox
forms (auto-generated), (2) InfoPath forms, and (3) ASP.NET forms.
InfoPath Form
if you want check boxes instead of radio buttons? Or, you need more detailed instructions, logos, or graphics on the form to make it more graphically appealing? Or, the data in the dropdowns may need to come from an external line-of-business application.Requirements such as pulling business data out of web services, dynamic filtering of controls, and advanced validation of form fields upon submission can all be easily accomplished with InfoPath.
An InfoPath form may reside as a document in what’s called a Form Library within a SharePoint site,the form itself was uploaded into the form library as an attachment, and that attachment contained the data as XML.
Another way in which InfoPath interacts with SharePoint lists is through the customization of a list or library’s New and Edit forms. When you customize the out-ofthe-box forms, the data in those forms is always mapped to columns in the list or library.
So how do you know when to customize the out-of-the-box forms versus using a form library? Consider how much data you’ll be interacting with. If you customize out-of-thebox forms, you need a column for every piece of data you want to save. If you use a form library, that data is stored as XML in the form itself, so you don’t need to have any extra columns on the document. A good rule of thumb is 15. If your form needs to save more than 15 pieces of data, it’s better to use a form library than create 15 columns on a list.
PROS
Drag-and-drop functions and wizard-based experience. You don’t have to be a programmer. Supports advanced form customizations like connecting to external data, rules, and conditions.
CONS
Requires a SharePoint Server Enterprise license to host the form in the browser; otherwise, the InfoPath client application is needed to fill out a form.
ASP.NET forms built in Visual Studio
you can replace the New and Edit out-of-the-box forms with a custom ASP.NET form. You can write a custom ASP.NET form and embed that form within a web part. When a user submits that form, you can use the SharePoint object model to add a new list item in a list and start a workflow on that item.
forms (auto-generated), (2) InfoPath forms, and (3) ASP.NET forms.
InfoPath Form
if you want check boxes instead of radio buttons? Or, you need more detailed instructions, logos, or graphics on the form to make it more graphically appealing? Or, the data in the dropdowns may need to come from an external line-of-business application.Requirements such as pulling business data out of web services, dynamic filtering of controls, and advanced validation of form fields upon submission can all be easily accomplished with InfoPath.
An InfoPath form may reside as a document in what’s called a Form Library within a SharePoint site,the form itself was uploaded into the form library as an attachment, and that attachment contained the data as XML.
Another way in which InfoPath interacts with SharePoint lists is through the customization of a list or library’s New and Edit forms. When you customize the out-ofthe-box forms, the data in those forms is always mapped to columns in the list or library.
So how do you know when to customize the out-of-the-box forms versus using a form library? Consider how much data you’ll be interacting with. If you customize out-of-thebox forms, you need a column for every piece of data you want to save. If you use a form library, that data is stored as XML in the form itself, so you don’t need to have any extra columns on the document. A good rule of thumb is 15. If your form needs to save more than 15 pieces of data, it’s better to use a form library than create 15 columns on a list.
PROS
Drag-and-drop functions and wizard-based experience. You don’t have to be a programmer. Supports advanced form customizations like connecting to external data, rules, and conditions.
CONS
Requires a SharePoint Server Enterprise license to host the form in the browser; otherwise, the InfoPath client application is needed to fill out a form.
ASP.NET forms built in Visual Studio
you can replace the New and Edit out-of-the-box forms with a custom ASP.NET form. You can write a custom ASP.NET form and embed that form within a web part. When a user submits that form, you can use the SharePoint object model to add a new list item in a list and start a workflow on that item.
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