Infopath Form name not updated when form is saved

Question

Hi,

I have a Infopath library.  When user create and submits a new form to the library, it is working as expecting.  I have setup the Submit action/rule to take the Title in the form and use it as the Name file name.  However, when the users goes in and update the form and change the "Title" in the form, the file Name in the library does NOT get updated.  Am I missing something?

Thanks

Answer 1

Hi Ultragc88,

Form Names are static and doesn't  change think of it as an ID for a document or form the only way to change the name is to edit it through windows explorer view.

If you do happen to change the form name in InfoPath and submit it submits a new form if you don't change the name it overwrites it. Best practice is to keep the form name the same at all times. You can prevent users form changing the Form Name with some formatting rules. 

 

---

Kind Regards, Justin Nash

Answer 2

Thanks Justin.  So, you are saying that once the form name is set, you can change it by updating the original form?

By problem is that, if the user decide to change the Title in the form, he wants the "Name" column in the form library get updated.

Answer 3

Hi Ultragc88,

You can update a form by submitting the form again using the same name and you have set your submit rules to overwrite.

Its good practice to auto generate the name of the form based off the type of form it is and what it’s used for. E.g. Expense + Date or some variation of an ID naming convention.

Allowing users to determine the name of the form leads to all sorts of issues what if user 1 names a document "Expense" and user 2 names the document "Expense" user 2's document overwrites user 1. You have lost the document unless you had version control but even then you can’t guaranty you will get the form back.

My suggestion is if you client really wants a field to be displayed with a name of their choosing is to have a title field that is published and have rules to set the form name. This will allow for the form to be named anything they wish without affecting the integrity of the form library.

---

Kind Regards, Justin Nash

Answer 4

Okay. So, is there rule that allows me to set the form name when the user click save?

Answer 5

Ultragc88,

On submit you can allocate where InfoPath Forms can be saved and what name they are saved under see: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/infopath-help/submit-form-data-to-a-sharepoint-library-HA010107057.aspx 

---

Kind Regards, Justin Nash

Answer 6

you could use use Property Promotion in InfoPath.

Make a field in your form to store the Title.

go to Form Options (File -- Info -- Form Options)
select Property Promotion
 
add the field that stores the title

and Publish the form

 
In the library you get the Promoted Column that stored the title when you submit the form.

By changing the title in de form the Promoted Column get updated.

---

/blog twttr @esjord

Answer 7

Thanks Sjoerd.  That is exactly what I have now.  Don't believe you understand the issue.  Let me explain this again.  The promoted "Title" field shows up and get update correctly in the form library.  It is the "Name" column that doesn't get updated.  The "Name" column is the default column generated by the form library (see below picture) and it is also treated as the file name.  So my questions is, how is this field get update?  When I click Save from the ribbon, I want this also get updated.

Answer 8

By using the save button in the ribbon it will not work.
To resolve your requirement you have to use the submit in the ribbon (or buttun in the form).
Because the submit uses the data connection.

Be sure that in the data connection the box is checked for 'allow overwrite ...'

When this is unchecked you are unable to update the name property.

By checking the box in an existing form you will notice that it does not work for the forms that already were made.

This will only affect new forms.

---

/blog twttr @esjord

Answer 9

Yip. This is not going to work for me.  

Thanks

Answer 10

Hi Ultragc88,

What is the Name field/column:

• Think of it as the Name of your document in a folder, you can change the name by going to properties and changing it there but if you open the document and change the name you will then have two copies.
• If a document has a name and destination already and you save it without changing the document name it will update the existing document.

Name is not a  Property Promotion in InfoPath it is a system default reserved ID column to show the ID of a document you chose to save. If you chose save over submit you will have a higher risk of loss of data and/or added confusion.

When using Property Promotion in InfoPath you can create a column e.g. "Product Name" which you can change as many times as you like without affecting save or submit. See: http://support.formotus.com/entries/20514141-how-to-promote-fields-in-infopath-2010

Submit is a term used control or constrict save to a location/name set. Also can you please explain why the above approach is not going to work for you?

For more information see: http://www.edutechnow.com/?p=493

---

Kind Regards, Justin Nash

Answer 11

To resolve your requirement is better to set the column Name with a SharePoint Designer list Workflow.

In this example is field1 the Promoted Column.

In the properties of the workflow check the box for start auto

and set the action update current item the field 'Path and Name' with the Promoted Column:

 

In this scenario it doesn't matter or you use save or submit in the form

the result is that the workflow is overwriting the Name by Field 1

 

Beware that you can overwrite existing forms with the same name.

---

/blog twttr @esjord