Amal Nagm

Create a data connection to a SQL database for offline use

• The name of the server where the database that you will use with this form template is stored.
• The name of the database that you will use with this form template.
• The authentication required by the database. The database can use either Microsoft Windows authentication or SQL Server authentication to determine how users can access the database.
• The name of the table that contains the data that you want to send to the form. This is the primary table. If you plan to use more than one table in the database, you need the names of those other, child tables. You also need the names of the fields in the child tables that possess relationships to the fields in the primary table.
• Whether you can safely store the query results in the form for offline use.

1. On the Tools menu, click Data Connections.
2. In the Data Connections dialog box, click Add.
3. In the Data Connection Wizard, click Create a new connection to, click Receive data, and then click Next.
4. On the next page of the wizard, click Database (Microsoft SQL Server or Microsoft Office Access only), and then click Next.
5. On the next page of the wizard, click Select Database.
6. In the Select Data Source dialog box, click New Source.
7. In the What kind of data source do you want to connect to list, click Microsoft SQL Server, and then click Next.
8. In the Server name box, type the name of the server where the database is stored.
9. Under Log on credentials, do one of the following:
   • If the database determines who has access to the server based on the credentials used in a Microsoft Windows network, click Use Windows Authentication.
   • If the database determines who has access to the server based on a specified user name and password that you get from the database administrator, click Use the following User Name and Password, and then type that user name and password in the User Name and Password boxes.
10. Click Next.
11. On the next page of the wizard, in the Select the database that contains the data you want list, click the database that you want to use, select the Connect to a specific table check box, click the name of the primary table, and then click Next.
12. On the next page of the wizard, in the File Name box, type a name for the file that stores the data connection information.
13. To save these settings, click Finish.
14. Add any other tables that you want to use in the query data connection.
    How?
    1. Click Add Table.
    2. In the Add Table or Query dialog box, click the name of the child table, and then click Next. InfoPath attempts to set the relationships by matching field names in both tables. If you do not want to use the suggested relationship, select the relationship, and then click Remove Relationship. To add a relationship, click Add Relationship. In the Add Relationship dialog box, click the name of each related field in the respective column, and then click OK.
    3. Click Finish.
    4. To add additional child tables, repeat these steps.
15. Click Next.
16. If you want the data from this secondary data connection to be available even if a user's computer is not connected to a network, select the Store a copy of the data in the form template check box. When you select this check box, InfoPath queries the external data source and stores the results in the form template.
    Security Selecting this check box stores the query results in the form template. Because the data is stored in the form template, it is available in the forms that users fill out, even if their computers are not connected to a network. If you are getting sensitive data from this data connection, you may want to disable this feature to help protect the data in case the computer is lost or stolen.
17. Click Next.
18. On the next page of the wizard, type a descriptive name for this secondary data connection. Verify that the information in the Summary section is correct. To allow your users to use this secondary data connection when they create a new form or open an existing form based on this form template, select the Automatically retrieve data when form is opened check box.

Create a data connection to an Access database for offline use

• The name and location of the database.
  Note You will also need to know whether the database is in a network location that is accessible to your users. If other users on the network will create forms based on this form template, your database must be located in a network location that is accessible to your users.
• If your form template will only query the database, you will need the name of the table that supplies the results of the query sent to the database. This table will be the primary table when you configure the query data connection.
• The names of any other tables that the primary table may require data from. In most cases, the table relationships (relationship: An association that is established between common fields (columns) in two tables. A relationship can be one-to-one, one-to-many, or many-to-many.) are already established in the database. If you must establish the relationships between the primary table and another table, you will need the related field names in both tables.

1. On the Tools menu, click Data Connections.
2. In the Data Connections dialog box, click Add.
3. In the Data Connection Wizard, click Create a new connection to, click Receive data, and then click Next.
4. On the next page of the wizard, click Database (Microsoft SQL Server or Microsoft Office Access only), and then click Next.
5. On the next page of the wizard, click Select Database.
6. In the Select Data Source dialog box, browse to the location of your database.
   Note If your database is stored in a network location, browse to the UNC (universal naming convention (UNC): A naming convention for files that provides a machine-independent means of locating the file. Rather than specifying a drive letter and path, a UNC name uses the syntax \\server\share\path\filename.) path of the location. Do not browse to the network location through a mapped network drive. If you use a mapped network drive, the forms created based on this form template will search for the database from a mapped network drive. If the user does not possess a mapped network drive, the form will not find the database.
7. Click on the name of your database, and then click Open.
8. In the Select Table dialog box, click the primary table that you want to use, and then click OK.
9. On the next page of the wizard, select the Show table columns check box.
   By default, all of the fields in the table will be added to the main data source of the form template.
10. Under Data source structure, clear the check boxes for the fields that you do not want to include in the main data source.
    Add any other tables or queries that you want to use in this data connection.

    How?

    1. Click Add Table.
    2. In the Add Table or Query dialog box, click the name of the child table, and then click Next. InfoPath attempts to set the relationships by matching field names in both tables. If you do not want to use the suggested relationship, select the relationship, and then click Remove Relationship. To add a relationship, click Add Relationship. In the Add Relationship dialog box, click the name of each related field in the respective column, and then click OK.
    3. Click Finish.
    4. To add additional child tables, repeat these steps.
11. Click Next.
12. To make the data from this secondary data connection available even if a user's computer is not connected to a network, select the Store a copy of the data in the form template check box. When you select this check box, InfoPath queries the external data source and stores the query results in the template.
    Security Selecting this check box stores the query results in the form template. Because the data is stored in the form template, it is available in the forms that users fill out, even if their computers are not connected to a network. If you are getting sensitive data from this data connection, you may want to disable this feature to help protect the data in case the computer is lost or stolen.
13. Click Next.
14. On the next page of the wizard, type a descriptive name for this secondary data connection. Verify that the information in the Summary section is correct. To allow your users to use this secondary data connection when they create a new form or open an existing form based on this form template, select the Automatically retrieve data when form is opened check box.

Create a data connection to a SharePoint document library for offline use

• The location of the Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services site, and the necessary permissions to access it.
• Verification that the site is configured so that your users can access data from the document library or list.
• Verification that you can store the data from the document library or list on your users' computers for offline use.

1. On the Tools menu, click Data Connections.
2. In the Data Connections dialog box, click Add.
3. In the Data Connection Wizard, click Create a new connection to, click Receive data, and then click Next.
4. On the next page of the wizard, click SharePoint library or list, and then click Next.
5. On the next page of the wizard, type the URL of the SharePoint site with the document library or list, and then click Next.
6. On the next page of the wizard, in the Select a list or library list, click the list or library that you want to use, and then click Next.
7. On the next page of the wizard, select the check boxes next to the fields that will supply data to the form template. If the form template will be published to the document library, and you want forms that are based on this form template to retrieve metadata about the form, select the Include data for the active form only check box.
8. Click Next.
9. To make the data from this secondary data connection available even if a user's computer is not connected to a network, select the Store a copy of the data in the form template check box. When you select this check box, InfoPath queries the external data source and stores the query results in the form template.
   Security Selecting this check box stores the query results in the form template. Because the data is stored in the form template, it is available in the forms that users fill out, even if their computers are not connected to a network. If you are getting sensitive data from this data connection, you may want to disable this feature to help protect the data in case the computer is lost or stolen.
10. Click Next.
11. On the next page of the wizard, type a descriptive name for this secondary data connection, and then verify that the information in the Summary section is correct.
12. To allow your users to use this secondary data connection when they create a new form or open an existing form based on this form template, select the Automatically retrieve data when form is opened check box.

Configure data availability