Chapter 2: Understanding the InfoPath IDE

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Introduction

Microsoft InfoPath 2003 is a new application that is part of the Microsoft Office System. It is designed to streamline the process of gathering, sharing, and using information by enabling teams and organizations to create, share, and work with rich dynamic forms. The information gathered is easily reusable throughout organizations and across multiple process boundaries because the native file format of InfoPath is XML. The use of XML makes it easier for information to be reused across different documents or systems. One of the strengths of InfoPath is that its integrated environment allows for form completion and design. This chapter is focused on the WYSIWYG design environment and how you can use it to develop the InfoPath document structure. We will also cover how InfoPath uses XML to generate the schema structure. Much of the information we will cover in this chapter is the base that we will use later as we start to dive deeper into developing InfoPath solutions.