- Office Reference Guide
- Table of Contents
- Surrealty: An Organic Case Study
- Working with Microsoft Word
- Branding Yourself with Microsoft Word
- Revising Your Document
- Saving and Using Document Templates
- Formatting with Styles
- Secrets of AutoText and AutoCorrect
- Trying To Remain Normal
- Customing Word with Macros, Menus, and Toolbars
- Document Management: Scanning into Word
- Using the Clip Organizer
- Backing Up Your Office System
- A Testimonial To Tables
- Navigating with Bookmarks
- Using a Document Map
- Creating a User Form
- Introduction to Word 2007
- Blogging with Word 2007
- Using Word 2007 Quick Parts and Building Blocks
- Mail Merge in Word 2007
- Word 2007: Open and Repair
- Styling: Using the New QuickStyles in Word 2007
- Compare and Combine Document Versions in Word 2007
- Accelerating Your Knowledge of Excel
- Getting Started with Excel Worksheets
- Creating and Autofitting Cell Content
- Populating the Worksheet with Data
- Using AutoSum To Create Automatic Calculations
- Using Formulas
- Making Your Worksheet Look Nicer
- Charting the Data
- Completing the Financial Picture
- Getting Fancy With Xcelsius
- Say It With Charts!
- The Effect of Text Entries and Blank Cells on Calculations
- Filtering Your Outlook Contacts
- New Charting and Productivity Tools
- Cataloging Your Backups in Excel
- Using Excel as a Simple Database
- Painless Pivot Tables
- Creating Interactive Spreadsheets Online
- Moving an Excel Macro
- Working with Scenarios and Goals
- Using Excel's Solver
- Emphasizing Sales Data in Excel
- XspandXL for Spreadsheet Analysis
- New Crystal Xcelsius Light (Free)
- Excel Business Analysis Books
- Excel 2007 Sorting, Filtering and Table Enhancements
- Creating an Entrepreneurial Marketing Plan in Excel 2007
- Named Ranges in Excel 2007
- Maintaining a Positive Outlook
- Using Word for Email
- Creating an Email Signature
- Handling Email Efficiently
- Creating an Anti-Spam Filter
- Working with Contacts
- Adding a Contact from Email
- Saving a Contact as a vCard
- Using the Calendar
- Appointments, Events, and Meetings
- Setting Tasks and Making Notes
- Protecting and Exporting Outlook Information
- Creating a Distribution List, and Other Outlook Tips
- Mail-Merge E-mail
- Creating an Outlook Form
- Completing the Outlook Form Solution
- Using Search Folders and Anti-Spam Tips
- Creating an E-Mail Template
- Using Outlook with a Cell Phone
- Stupid Outlook Tricks
- Using Multiple Outlook Calendars
- Using NewsGator for RSS in Outlook
- Review: <em>Conquer Email Overload with Better Habits, Etiquette, and Outlook 2003</em>
- Using Anagram's Artificial Intelligence
- MeetingSense for Enhanced Outlook Productivity
- Introduction to Outlook 2007 and Predictions
- Trying Business Contact Manager
- Outlook 2007 Organization Features
- Taking Your Outlook 2007 Calendar Online
- Going Mobile with My New SmartPhone
- Synching Outlook with Facebook
- Workaround: Create a Private Distribution List in Outlook
- Microsoft Office Outlook Connector
- "Where Are My Socks?" Accessing Your Important Information
- Exploring the Northwind Application
- Access Basics
- Creating Tables
- Using Forms for Data Entry
- Creating a Report
- Querying Your Database
- Creating Relationships
- Using Access for Business Documents
- Customizing an Access Template
- Using Macros and Switchboards in Access
- Creating an Online Data Access Page
- What's New in Access 2007
- Making Your Access 2007 Forms and Reports Look Professional
- Use the Access Label Wizard
- Presenting Professionally with PowerPoint
- Introduction to PowerPoint
- Creating Cool Diagrams
- Using the Diagram Object
- Beginning the Org Chart
- Using the Org Chart Toolbar
- Changing the Org Chart Layout
- Selecting Portions of the Org Chart
- Moving and Formatting the Selection
- Applying Styles to the Org Chart
- Using the Other Conceptual Diagrams
- Adding Our Concepts
- Moving Shapes with the Diagram Toolbar
- Moving or Resizing the Diagram
- Using the Diagram Styles
- Changing Your Concept Diagram
- Turning Off AutoFormat
- Adding a Caption or Title
- Summary
- Q&A
- Customizing Your Presentation
- The Concept of Customization
- Accessing the Master Views
- Understanding the Master Views
- The Power of the Master Views
- Adding Our Logo
- Changing Other Elements
- Slide Master Rules
- Using the Title Master
- Using the New Slide Master Template
- Adding Date and Time to a Footer
- Using Headers and Footers
- The Master View Toolbar
- Using the Handout Master
- Using the Notes Master
- Using Page Setup to Change the Presentation Type
- Summary
- Q&A
- Accessorizing for Presentations
- The Potential Of Photo Album
- Using Broadcast Quality Effects
- The Latest Presentation Gear
- Using PowerPoint, Video and DVD
- Microsoft Producer for PowerPoint
- Expanding PowerPoint with Plug-Ins
- Using Presenter View with a Projector
- Getting Into Your Presentation -- Literally
- The View from PowerPoint LIVE
- Making a PowerPoint Movie (not just for the Mac anymore)
- Making a Self-Running Animated Holiday Card
- Reporting on Databases in PowerPoint
- HD or Not HD, That Is The Question
- Taking On Tufte
- What the Heck Do I Say?
- Broadcasting PowerPoint Video with Serious Magic
- Video Blogging as a Presentation Value-Add
- This Just In: PowerPoint Secedes from MS Office!
- Two New PowerPoint Add-Ins
- Podcasting our PowerPoint
- What We Can Learn from InfoComm 2005
- Putting Yourself in the Show
- What You Can Learn from SIGGRAPH
- Using DVD Video in PowerPoint
- Animating Individual Chart Elements
- The Magic of PowerPoint LIVE 2005
- Making Sure Your Video Plays
- Creating a Timeline Template in PowerPoint
- Creating Transparent Animation and Backgrounds
- Using Advanced Animation Techniques
- Advanced Animation Part 2: Reusing Motion Paths
- Advanced Animation Part 3: Masked Backgrounds and Triggers
- Getting an Ovation with PowerPoint
- Video that Plays For Certain
- Using an Animated PowerPoint Chart on DVD
- Packaging Music Files with PowerPoint
- Say It With Presentations
- Keep Saying It With RSS
- PowerPoint LIVE 2006
- Total Solution: Using Propaganda for a PowerPoint Podcast for iTunes
- Wildform Wild Presenter for Interactive PowerPoint Online
- PowerFrameworks to Stimulate Your Creative PowerPoint Juices
- Distributing Video for iPods and Other Devices
- Converting Bullets to SmartArt Graphics in PowerPoint 2007
- Editing Video in PowerPoint (And a Lot More)
- Enhancing PowerPoint with Stock Photos
- Creating Sticky Documents and Presentations
- Review: Why Most PowerPoint Presentations Suck
- Using PowerPoint 2003 and 2007 Together: Preparing for InfoComm 2007
- Converting Flash to PowerPoint Video
- Animated Artwork for PowerPoint: PointClips and Vox Proxy
- Cutting Edge Graphics at SIGGRAPH 2007
- The Insert Object Animation Trick in PowerPoint
- Using YouTube Video in PowerPoint
- Using PowerPoint 2007 with Video Online
- PowerPoint LIVE 2007: Presentation Paradise in the Big Easy
- Camatasia 5.0: An Upgrade Worth the Effort
- Solving Video Playback in PowerPoint for Vista
- Review: Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 Complete Makeover Kit
- Graphic Novels in PowerPoint
- The Ultimate Presentation
- Opazity: PowerPoint for Lazy People
- Using SlideShare for Online PowerPoint with Narration
- Mastering Themes in Office 2007 (and Specifically PowerPoint 2007)
- VIDITalk's New Online Presenter Program
- Using and Converting YouTube Video for PowerPoint
- SlideRocket: Documents in the "Cloud"
- PFC Pro: Use YouTube Directly in PowerPoint and Maybe Get Your Web Cam into a Web Conference
- AuthorSTREAM: PowerPoint with Narration Made Easier Online
- Slide:ology: Nancy Duarte’s Design Secrets and Her New PowerPoint Book
- Mastering the New Slide Masters (and Layouts) in PowerPoint 2007
- Using PowerPoint 2007 to Create Slides That Don't Look Like PowerPoint (Video Update)
- A Treasure Trove of PowerPoint Templates
- Posting a Web Site with FrontPage
- Getting a Web Site
- Creating a FrontPage Web
- Where's My Web?
- Adding Navigation
- Applying a Theme
- Publishing Your Site
- The Old MHT Trick
- Taking Over A FrontPage Web
- Expression Studio 2.0: A Worthy Successor to FrontPage
- Publish or Perish
- Creating Publications for Print
- Publisher Web Sites
- Creating an E-Mail Newsletter
- E-mailing Holiday Cards
- Publisher 2007
- Get Visual with Visio
- Creating a Visio Flowchart
- Connecting Shapes
- Examining the Shapesheet
- Creating a Report
- Moving In With Visio
- Expanding Visio with Third-Party Stencils
- Playing Well with Others Using Visio
- Creating Interactive Diagrams with Visio's Layers
- Creating a "Virtual Database"
- Creating a Visio Dynamic Solution Template
- Visio 2007
- Visio 2007 Professional IT Toolbox
- Project Management with Visio 2007 Gantt and Pert Charts
- Review: Using Microsoft Office Visio 2007
- Tools That Integrate Your Office Applications
- Creating Video E-Mail with MovieMaker
- Managing Pictures with Microsoft Office Picture Manager
- New Year's Predictions: 2005
- Office Predictions for 2006
- Favorite Books List
- Using Excel as a Database Conversion Tool for Outlook
- Oh, Brother, I Love Labels (and other Office Tips)
- Planning for Disaster
- Using OneNote with Outlook
- Web Resources for Microsoft Office
- Simple 3D in Microsoft Office
- Creating Dynamic Database Links
- Using an Access Query for Mail Merge
- Displaying Database Links with Xcelsius Enterprise
- An Office 12 Sneak Preview from PDC
- My Big Fat Office Vacation
- What CES 2006 Means to Office Users
- Using "Send To" Between Office Applications: Word and
- Running (and Surviving) a Web-based Conference
- Running an Online Office with HyperOffice and Writely
- Preparing with Index Cards
- Creating Meeting Agendas
- Collecting Data with New Technologies: ARS, SMS and RFID
- Using Application Sharing in a Web Conference
- Running an Online Notes or Windows Media Session
- Trying Out Live Meeting
- Creating a SharePoint Team Website
- Using and Customizing a SharePoint Team Website
- Creating a Trip Planner in Excel and Outlook
- Crystal Graphics’ Excel and Solutions and Chart
- GoToMeeting Instant Webinar Tool
- Checking Out Office Live
- Using Quindi Meeting Capture
- Using Excel to Link to Other Databases
- Trying Out Mind Manager Pro to Brainstorm with Office Programs
- The 13th Thing I Hate About Office
- Introduction to Office 2007
- What's New in Excel and PowerPoint 2007
- Take a Look at InfoPath 2007
- Office's Groovy New Collaboration Program
- Using Office Accounting Express
- Printing to PDF or XPS in Office 2007
- Getting Adjusted to Office 2007 Changes
- Using SnagIt for IT Training
- Providing Help with Go To My PC
- Vista Meeting Space and People Near Me from Microsoft
- Trying Expression Web
- Migration Issues to Word and Outlook 2007
- Vista – Are You Kidding Me?
- Making Office 2007 (and Vista) Work Properly
- Office and the Enterprise
- Survey Says – Use Web Surveys with Excel and Access
- Uninstalling Office 2007 in Windows XP Pro
- Using Excel for Tables in Office 2007
- VIDITalk – Video in SharePoint and Beyond
- Career Advancement for Office Professionals
- Online Database that Rivals Access?
- Web 2.0 2008 in San Francisco
- Going Virtual for MS Office
- Going Virtual Using Mobile Apps
- Managing Your Contacts Across the Office Suite
- Charts in PowerPoint and Excel 2007 (Video Update)
- Outline View: The Document Planning Bridge between Word and PowerPoint
- Using Document Inspector in Office 2007
- SmartDraw: A Powerful Communications Tool to Supplement MS Office
- Visio 2007's New Pivot Diagram
- Using the Macro Recorder in Visio 2007 (Video Update)
- Compatibility Pack: Challenges of Using Office 2007 Documents in Previous Versions
- Microsoft Office Live Small Business Beta
- No One Asked Me But... What I Want (and Don’t Want) in the Next Office and Windows
- Late New Year's Resolution: Keys to Effective IT Communication
- SmartDraw Extras: Healthcare and Legal Templates
- Interesting Upgrades: Camtasia 6 and SnagIt 9
- Addressing the Office 2007 Read-Only Runaround
- Getting Organized with OneNote
- Flagging OneNote Information
- Recording and Organizing with OneNote
- Recording and Organizing Video in OneNote
- OneNote 2007
- Using OneNote 2007 Efficiently with Other Office 2007 Apps
- Using OneNote as a Voice Recorder
- Video Tutorials
- Charts in PowerPoint and Excel 2007
- Using PowerPoint 2007 to Create Slides That Don't Look Like PowerPoint
- Using the Macro Recorder in Visio 2007
- Playing a CD Audio in a Self Running Presentation
- Textboxes, QuickParts and Building Blocks in Word 2007
- Working Between PowerPoint and PDF
- Additional Resources
- Exploring Twine and the New Semantic Web
- A Tale of Two Tech Supports — OfficeLive and Zoho
- Digital Hollywood 2008
- Infocomm 2006
- InfoComm 2007
- Judging a Disc By Its Cover
- Surviving the Office 2007 Beta
- The Latest Word from CES 2007
If you happened to read my rant about the dozen things I hate about Office, one of them was my inability to get a demo version of InfoPath 2003 to work.
Then I got the beta of Office 2007 and it included InfoPath, but the only book I had was for InfoPath 2003 — so I decided to forge ahead and create and design a new form, publish it, and use it to query and append an Access database.
To help me in my quest I used the Kick Start Guide to InfoPath 2003 from SAMS, written by Andrew Watt. If you go to the web site for the book, you can also download the files that are used with each chapter to make the process easier.
I decided to use his HR database for my practice run, and basically followed his opening guide with InfoPath 2007.
When you open the program, a template screen appears that lets you open different types of forms to alter their design.
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If you exit from that panel, and use Ctrl+F1 to open the task pane, you can design a form from scratch. That's what you would do to connect to an existing Access database.
Particularly if you happen to be using Vista it is a good idea to keep the database, the form templates, and the published forms in the same folder — such as My Documents.
If you click Design a form in the task pane, you get another dialog box that lets you select what you will base the form on.
If you've created Access forms some of this will be quite straightforward, but the functionality of InfoPath takes it beyond a proprietary system like Access and puts everything in XML format, to use with other types of services.
Nonetheless seeing how it works with Access is a good way to get started, so I click Database in InfoPath 2007.
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If I've connected to the source before, I can use a Windows database connector file, but what I prefer is to browse to the Access file itself, and select it to open.
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A connection is established and a panel shows me the tables and queries already in the database.
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I just click Next to get through the connection wizard — the next screen has an important checkbox — to enable submit — I don't just want to query the database, I want to be able to add records to the table to which I have connected.
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When I finish the data connection wizard, InfoPath opens my task pane again to a data panel, from which I can add the relevant fields for my query and data panels.
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What's new in InfoPath 2007 is that both of these can go on the same page view — in the former version you need to go into the task pane under views to separate out a data view.
So what is going on here? The top query area is used to ask for specific database records that will show up in the panel below by the criteria I specify.
I can add a Submit button to the bottom panel so that by entering information there, I can have it added to the Access table.
So I drag the appropriate fields into the appropriate areas, and give the form a title, and it looks pretty good.
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At this point I will save the form as a template (it hasn't been published yet), but now I can preview it in query mode.
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When I click Preview, I get a new window where I can run a query.
If I enter "John" into the First Name field in the top panel, and click Run Query, sure enough, the two records that meet that criteria appear in the Data panel — in fact another entry pops up for a second person who meets the criteria.
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I click to close the Preview and return to design mode.
In the task pane I open the Controls panel, and select a button, which I add to the form.
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The button pops up near the top of the page so I drag it below the second data panel because it will be used to Submit the data to the database table.
With the new button select it, I can right-click it and choose Properties, which gives me a dialog box where I can choose to make it a Submit button.
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I like the fact that there is no coding necessary at all.
The button also now says, amazingly, Submit as the caption.
To try it out for data entry I need to click Preview once more.
If I fill out some information in the bottom panel, and click submit, I get a wonderful dialog box that tells me that submission was successful.
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If I open the actual database to the table (this figure shows Access 2007), I can see that the record I created in the form has been added to the table.
I can repeat the process in Preview mode by clicking New Record, but now it's time to publish the form.
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While I can publish it to a SharePoint site, to an Email list or to an executable using Visual Studio, I choose a Network location.
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This lets me keep working with the form as a published document that I can continue to use to query or append the table.
Sending the form by email lets others open it and fill it in, and then I can submit the results when the emails are sent to me.
Putting up on SharePoint or a shared network folder allows us to let users with access to the site or folders to directly open the form, use it, and work with the database.
Obviously this is a very simple scenario with a single table — as you get more comfortable with InfoPath you could use it to fill out exam answer sheets, surveys, expense forms or any number of forms that will then populate a very powerful central database.
If you want to go further with InfoPath and implement some solutions, I would recommend getting Andrew Watt's book, downloading the sample files, and having at it.
It goes into more detail with Access and other connection options, and gives a good overview of how users can use InfoPath to design and implement forms, or just fill them out.