InfoPath tracks the dates, revisions, additions, and so on made to electronic forms in an organization. InfoPath works in conjunction with SharePoint, Access, and BizTalk, so it is a key product of Microsoft's efforts to create a seamless, collaborative working environment.

Pro InfoPath 2007 focuses specifically on the developer's needs when working with InfoPath. After a ground-up introduction of InfoPath fundamentals, the book quickly moves onto solving advanced problems with the new capabilities of InfoPath and InfoPath Forms Services.

The book provides a wealth of useful information for.NET developers in a wide range of industries--such as medical, manufacturing, and publishing--who must create and work with electronic forms specific to their particular industry. You'll quickly get up to speed with this .NET- and browser-based technology. The book features solution-based instructions for using InfoPath in a broad range of company sizes.The book even covers the difficult aspects of the product and suggests workarounds.

Pro InfoPath 2007 is an excellent book for developers trying to learn the scope and range of application forms that can be built with Microsoft Office InfoPath 2007. InfoPath is now in its 2nd generation and it enables the creation of rich desktop and web forms using XML technologies and allows gathering of structured, business-critical information. Together with Microsoft Windows SharePoint Server 2007, InfoPath allows built-in integration with back-end processes, databases, and work flow, and provides developers with rich tools to build enterprise-wide forms solutions.

During the development and stabilization phase of InfoPath 2007, Philo worked closely with the product team to testfeatures, provide feedback on scenarios, and to build and apply solutions for the government and public sector. He haspoured all that experience in an engaging manner into this booka great read for every developer trying to learnInfoPath.

-- Kamaljit Bath, Principal Program Manager Lead, Microsoft Office InfoPath and Forms Services

InfoPath enables users to design forms and publish them for use by other users. It combines the ease of use of Access forms with the enterprise scalability of a network-based platform. Microsofts goal with InfoPath is to get form design and maintenance out of the IT shop and onto the desktop, while maintaining the power of connecting to web services or a SQL Server. Since InfoPath is wholly XML-based, it is easy to introduce it into a heterogeneous enterprise environment &emdash; via web services InfoPath can act as the interface for any back end system. InfoPath 2007, coupled with Microsoft Office SharePoint Server, adds the ability to deploy InfoPath forms in a web browser with no client side application. SharePoint and Office 2007 have leveraged InfoPath in many other ways &emdash; making InfoPath forms part of the workflow engine embedded in SharePoint, and using InfoPath forms to capture and maintain arbitrary metadata in Office documents.

Pro InfoPath 2007 was written so that developers can read it as an introduction to InfoPath 2007, as well as use it as a reference for common tasks. Targeted at developers, power users should also find a lot of value in this book to learn how to design and use forms in InfoPath.

This book will show form designers how to: Use InfoPath to fill in electronic formsDesign and publish formsConnect to data sources to read and publish dataDesign and leverage the power of InfoPath viewsWork with SharePoint form libraries to get the most out of InfoPath form dataImport existing Word and Excel forms into InfoPathCreate workflows with SharePoint DesignerWork with digital signatures

In addition, developers will learn how to: Create an InfoPath form template based on a data connection or web servicePublish InfoPath form templates as content typesCreate custom task panes for InfoPath formsUnderstand SharePoint information management policiesWrite .Net code behind InfoPath forms and browser formsCreate an add-in to extend the capabilities of InfoPathCreate a custom workflow for SharePoint, embedding InfoPath forms for gathering informationBuild a .Net web service that InfoPath can connect toUse Altovas XMLSpy to work with InfoPath form templates

Focusing specifically on the developers needs when working with InfoPath, this guide provides a ground-up introduction of InfoPath fundamentals, then quickly moves onto solving advanced problems with the new capabilities of InfoPath and InfoPath Forms Services.