How to: Update a Document Information Panel for Content Type Changes in SharePoint Server 2010 (ECM)

  • Article

Applies to: SharePoint Server 2010

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 InfoPath 2010 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 SharePoint Server 2010 or InfoPath 2010 user interface.

Note

When InfoPath 2010 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 SharePoint Server 2010

  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 InfoPath 2010 client application launches, and displays the Data Source Wizard.

  3. If the content type schema has been changed since the form was created or last edited, the wizard screen displays text warning you of this, and asks if you want to update the data source of the form with these changes.

    Click Yes.

  4. InfoPath 2010 loads the custom document information panel form, and integrates the updated content type schema into the Fields task pane.

  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 InfoPath 2010 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 Microsoft SharePoint Foundation 2010, and then update 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 InfoPath Designer 2010, on the File tab, click Open. Navigate to the template form for the custom document information panel, and then click Open.

  2. On the Data tab, click Refresh Fields.

    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, InfoPath 2010 integrates the updated content type schema into the Fields task pane displayed in 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 InfoPath 2010 forms. To change the custom document information form schema, you would first have to change the content type schema itself in Microsoft SharePoint Foundation 2010.

  5. Republish the form.

See Also

Tasks

How to: Create a Custom Document Information Panel from InfoPath in SharePoint Server 2010 (ECM)

Concepts

Document Information Panel Overview in SharePoint Server 2010 (ECM)

Custom Document Information Panels in SharePoint Server 2010 (ECM)