Infopath Read Only View to a Duplicate Doc library

Question

I have an InfoPath form that is used by field personnel to report on projects they are working on. The form is also updated by the field personnel as the work progresses or is complete. This form notification process has been working well for several years, but I’ve been thrown a new twist. I now need to send a copy of these forms to a third party through a shared extranet site. My problem is that I would like to send the third party a read only version of the form so that they cannot alter the information.

I’ve set up 2 data connections for the submission to the 2 separate libraries, the third party data connection is triggered by selections made in the form that only apply to them.  The third party rule also currently creates a read only view, which is what is causing my issue. If the form is made read only through this rule, then my field personnel cannot access the form to update it.

Right now I have different files names going to each separate document library. I had the intention of maybe tying the views to a field in the form that would pull the file name from the SharePoint list, but that is not functioning either.  The submissions to these 2 separate libraries are functioning properly through the preview mode.

My old form is an IP 2003 Form Template, but I also have IP 2007 that I can work with. I would like to accomplish this using rules and not SP workflows or code. I have full permissions access to both libraries, but I’m out of ideas on how I can accomplish this or even if I can simply through infopath. Appreciate any input or suggestions.

Answer 1

Hi SteveB356,

I would just like to clarify that a form is sent to the 3rd party EVERY time that a form is submitted or is it merely sent to the 3rd party when certain selections are made within the form by the field personnel.  Either way (if its submitted everytime or only based on selections) you should be able to do this without even making a separate read only view (unless the template is quite complex).  I am making the assumption that the 3rd party users will never have a need to make anytype of change to these forms - that they are only for viewing.

The first thing you want to do is add a node to the Main data source.  You could call it ReadOnlyChk or something like that and make the data type boolean and set the default value to FALSE.  Set conditional formatting such that if the ReadOnlyChk is TRUE to set the fields/sections to read only.  Lastly in the rule that does submits - I assume they are 2 actions under the same rule - add an action between the two that sets ReadOnlyChk to "true".  The reason you put it inbetween the submit to the internal library and the 3rd party library is that this field is modified AFTER the internal submit but before the external submit.  This means the only form that will be set to read only is the one residing in the 3rd party library.

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Regards, Aaron Suoja - Microsoft Online Community Support