XForms Essentials

Appendix A. Examining Microsoft InfoPath

Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.

—Ralph Waldo Emerson

For months, people wondered what Microsoft’s response to XForms would be. In the fall of 2002, Microsoft announced a new product code-named “XDocs” that appeared, at least on the surface, to be quite similar in functionality to an XForms implementation. The product came to be known officially as InfoPath and, due to the sheer size and influence of Microsoft, a subject of frequent comparison with XForms and other related technologies.

Tip

The information in this appendix is based on the Beta 2 Technical Refresh of Microsoft Office Infopath, so some details may change.

How Does It Work?

The InfoPath application, like an XForms implementation, converts user input into a new or modified XML, which can then be fed into a back-end system. A single application is used for both designing and completing a form. InfoPath is available only on the Windows platform, as part of Microsoft Office System 2003.

An InfoPath document is stored and processed as several files, which can be either compressed into a single CAB-compressed file with a file extension of .xsn or stored in the same directory.

manifest.xsf

This file contains a manifest, or listing of all other files, as well as many other details of the form, including information on toolbars and menus associated with each view, information on external data sources, and error messages.

This file is roughly ...