Offline capability in SharePoint 2013?

Question

If the user is online, then they can fill in the form via the browser. But if

they're offline, then they can fill in the form via the client. But I'd like to know:

For offline completion, how do they access the template and where do they access it from?

After they complete the form, what do they do? Do they simply save the form

locally on their PC and when they're online again, simply open the form and submit it? Can you direct me to any sites that will give me step by step instructions on

how to create a browser enabled form that can also be completed offline (via the client) and then submitted to the library when the user is again online?

Answer 1

You can achieve your scenario, using InfoPath offline mode , but you should

• Have SharePoint 2013 EnterPrise Edition and InfoPath 2013.
• For client he should have InfoPath installed on his PC to can pen InfoPath form from his PC.

Steps :

• Open InfoPath Designer 2013
• Select SharePoint list template > click on design form button.
• At data connection wizard, type your site Url.
• Select your list that you need > continue wizard and click finish.
• Publish your form.

Now you need to fill this form in offline mode.

• Save your form at any location on your PC.
• Try to open it and fill it from this location, not from SharePoint list.
• After you fill this from, Click save that will be saved as XML file as offline item
• Now you need to submit this offline item when you will be connected to the network of SharePoint site , so at your PC > open XNL file via InfoPath Designer > click submit > go to your list it should be submitted successfully.

Note: To add multiple items you should save it at independent XML file.

Answer 2

You can also consider structured forms like PDF. Unlikely purely xml based forms you get a real document that can be filled in offline and don't require any fancy software, but simple adobe reader.

PDF Share Forms product allows integrating PDF forms with SharePoint to extract data from form fields to SharePoint library columns. It can be configured the way, that the form can be downloaded locally and submitted from adobe reader. It will go to the outbox of your email client and sit there until the Internet connection is restored. When the internet is it the form is sent to SharePoint and data is synchronized.

Full disclosure - I work for PDF Share Forms