Beginning InfoPath 2003 (Programmer to Programmer) (Paperback)

~ (Author) "InfoPath is a new journey for both users and developers..." (more)
Key Phrases: custom task pane, regform utility, boiler information, Visual Studio, Data Connection Wizard, Microsoft Office (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

• InfoPath creates forms for data gathering, analysis, and reporting
• InfoPath has been adopted by many companies, ranging from Toyota and Hewlett-Packard to M/I Homes and New York Presbyterian Hospital, and recent laws that regulate data collection, such as Sarbanes-Oxley and HIPPA, have increased demand
• Explains how to use InfoPath in a single user mode and how to use it with other databases, such as Access and SQL Server, or in conjunction with XML Web services
• Shows how to deploy multi-user forms that use InfoPath with collaborative products such as Windows SharePoint Services and BizTalk

From the Inside Flap

F. Scott Barker (Woodinville, WA) a Microsoft MVP, has worked as a developer in the database field for over 16 years, with Visual Basic, SQL Server and Microsoft Access for the last 12 years. Scott is currently working on a major InfoPath project for Toyota, converting a largely manual paper form production quality control system to InfoPath forms. Scott worked at Microsoft in the Access and Foxpro teams. Since leaving he has been contracting with Microsoft developing in-house tools used throughout Microsoft. Scott is a writer for a number of VB/Office magazines as well as a columnist for DotNetJunkies.com, and is the author of a number of books.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Wrox (March 11, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764579487
• ISBN-13: 978-0764579486
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #311,165 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best, and first InfoPath book to buy..., April 13, 2005

By	Russell Ramirez "SharePoint architect" (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you are new to InfoPath, do yourself a favor and get this book first. In fairness to prior books, writing a book on InfoPath really was not an easy or pleasant task before Service Pack 1 came along. Before SP1, InfoPath was a less useful product that required more effort to understand and use for real-world solutions.

The book is well organized and follows a logical progression from basic to more complex subjects. The first 60% or so of the book covers the basic matter with the remainder devoted to more advanced and quite current topics such as using .NET managed code with InfoPath. Lastly there is a case study to illustrate the thought processes around using InfoPath in real-world solutions. If you need to get up-to-speed on InfoPath quickly, this book can be lightly read in no more than 2 days and used as a guide and reference from there.

There are two aspects about the way this book is written that appealed to me. First, Scott Barker makes practical use of the "Try It Out" and "How it works" technique. Second, any prior bleeding-edge experience with InfoPath, especially pre-SP1, will make anyone purchasing this book totaly appreciate the expanded coverage of topics like security and deployment. InfoPath was designed to comply with standards/laws that address privacy like HIPPA, which make deployment "lots of fun".

On the downside, there are a number of typos in the book, but my guess is that the editing done by Wrox was rushed and it's not due to the writing per se. Fortunately, the errors are pretty obvious.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Does a good job getting you started with InfoPath..., May 22, 2005

By	Thomas Duff "Duffbert" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Those who are reading this review on my blog must be wondering if I've ditched my Notes/Domino roots and migrated to the dark side. The answer is no. I just wanted to know a bit more about InfoPath. To do that, I got a copy of Beginning InfoPath 2003 by F. Scott Barker. If I were inclined to start working with the product, this would offer a good start.

Chapter List: InfoPath - The Journey Begins; Getting Started Designing with InfoPath; Understanding Data; Creating an InfoPath Form from an Existing Data Source; Utilizing XML and Web Service Data Sources; Working with Controls in General; Looking at Some Useful Controls and Techniques; Working with Sections; Managing Views; Publishing InfoPath Forms; Working with Code in Your InfoPath Form; Getting Started Using Scripts; Working with .NET Managed Code; Real-World Tasks and Coding Examples; Creating and Working with Web Services; Implementing Security; Working with InfoPath and Windows SharePoint Services; Manufacturing Plant Case Study; Answers to Exercises; Index

As I said in the opening statement, I'd feel very comfortable using this as an initial text to start learning InfoPath if that were my next learning chore. Barker does a nice job explaining the overall concepts behind the product, and then gets into the actual building of applications based on InfoPath. There's a good mix of examples using various data sources, like Access, SQL Server, and web services. As a beginning text, this focuses more on the basic form design and how you can build useful forms using wizards and the basic controls. There isn't the focus on doing a lot of scripting in your application, which is OK as this is labeled a "beginning" book. In fact, there's a follow-on Wrox title labelled Professional InfoPath 2003. If that book covers scripting and more of the internals, then I'd consider the coverage in this book to be perfect for the division between the two titles.

It's really tough to not want to get off on a tangent of comparing this technology to the Notes/Domino platform. But this *is* a book review, not a technology review. As a result, I'll restrain myself and stop here. :-) This is a well-done book, and worth getting if you're going down the Microsoft path of "collaboration" based on their definition of the day...

OK... that last one just slipped out. :-)

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beginning InfoPath 2003, July 14, 2005

By	Newbie "Newbie" (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews

Wow! I am elated. This is great self help book. Mr. Barker, the author did an excellent job. His methodology is awesome. I was able to teach myself. By the Way, I had to learn this application in one week and I am happy to report I now know the basics after a few hours, I am up to chapter nine. Also, the forum is great for answers at [...].