How to: Update a Document Information Panel for Content Type Changes

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If you update the schema of a content type after you have already created a custom document information panel for that content type, the custom panel may be out of sync with that schema. For example, if you add or delete columns from a content type, your custom document information panel may no longer contain the necessary fields, or may contain fields no longer included on the content type.

In such cases, you can use Microsoft Office InfoPath 2007 to retrieve the updated content type schema, and integrate it with your custom form. As with creating the custom document information panels, you can choose to update the form starting from either the Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 or Microsoft Office InfoPath 2007 user interface.

Note

When Microsoft Office InfoPath 2007 updates the data source, it adds or removes nodes from the data source to match the updated content type schema. It does not add data connections, update rules or code, or add or remove controls to reflect the updated data source.

To update a document information panel to account for content type changes from within Office SharePoint Server 2007

  1. On the content type settings page, click Change Document Information Panel settings.

  2. On the Document Information Panel Settings page, click Edit this template.

    The Microsoft Office InfoPath 2007 client application launches, and displays the Data Source Wizard.

  3. In Microsoft Office InfoPath 2007, click Next until you reach the final wizard screen.

    If the content type schema has been updated since the form was created or last edited, the final wizard screen displays text warning you of this, and asks if you want to update the form with the current content type schema.

  4. Click Yes.

    Microsoft Office InfoPath 2007 loads the custom document information panel form, and integrates the updated content type schema with the form.

  5. Edit and customize the form as you want. Save the form when you are finished.

    Note

    Because the custom form is based on the content type schema, you cannot edit the form schema, as you can with typical Microsoft Office InfoPath 2007 forms that are not based on a schema. To change the custom document information form schema, you would first have to change the content type schema itself in Windows SharePoint Services 3.0, and then convert the data source, as described earlier.

  6. Republish the form.

To update a document information panel to account for content type changes from within InfoPath

  1. In Microsoft Office InfoPath 2007, on the File menu, click Open in Design Mode. Navigate to the template form for the custom document information panel, and then click Open.

  2. On the Tools menu, click Convert Main Data Source.

    The Data Source Wizard appears.

  3. Click Next to advance through the wizard screens. On each screen, the information pertaining to the template form you have opened is already selected.

    When you click Finish on the final wizard screen, Microsoft Office InfoPath 2007 integrates the updated content type schema with the template form.

  4. Edit and customize the form as you want. Save the form when you are finished.

    Note

    Because the custom form is based on the content type schema, you cannot edit the form schema, as you can with typical Microsoft Office InfoPath 2007 forms. To change the custom document information form schema, you would first have to change the content type schema itself in Windows SharePoint Services.

  5. Republish the form.

See Also

Tasks

How to: Create or Edit a Custom Document Information Panel from within Office SharePoint Server 2007
How to: Create a Custom Document Information Panel from InfoPath

Concepts

Document Information Panel Overview
Custom Document Information Panels