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new/inexperienced SP user here. I recently created an InfoPath form to publish on a SP site. I'm a bit confused about a couple of things. The form is a "Change Request" and we want to collect, track and archive these requests. We also want to have the team responsible for that tracking to get notifications when a new entry is submitted.

1) I want to collect/archive all entries made via the form. I thought that I needed to set up a library where the data would be stored, so I created one and indeed data shows up here, however only ONE record. If I try to enter a 2nd record, I get an error telling me the file already exists (I did not check allow overwrite). If I do check allow overwrite, it will let me save all the form entries I want, but it overwrites the file each time with just the last record entered...so I need to know how do I create a file that will collect every form entry submitted?

2) Once the submit button is clicked, I want the form to close and return to the home page OR clear so another entry could be made if needed...either would work. I have set the submit options to close, and I've also ticked off the button to show in both the ribbon and the form. I also don't know how to get rid of the save/save as etc. ribbon at the top of the form when it opens in a browser.

3) How do you set up an alert so that our team can get an email when a new entry is submitted? Can a workflow be used? I read up on workflows but not sure this is what I am really looking for.

4) If I set up a library where the data is sent to, and once I am able to collect more than just one record, should I not then be able to download these records as an excel file?

A lot of questions I know, but I've gotten some good help out here before so hoping for more of the same with this.

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Thanks Leslie

Hi Marek - thanks for responding/clarifying. I'm still a it confused though. What you say indicates that if I create a filename that multiple records could then be saved to the same file? If that is the case, then this sounds like what I want to happen, but I am still unsure of how/where to accomplish this. In InfoPath I have the option to submit data to email, web service, SP library etc. I chose SP library. In the Data connection wizard I specified the library and the name of the file - do I need to specify name/type like "form.xlsx"?

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  1. In your data connection you need to specify Tile that will be unique otherwise you will always update same form.
  2. When you wills set no. 1 form should close ok as it will not try to overwrite existing option.
  3. For alerts you can use out of the box alert function.
  4. To be able to download all data to excel you need to promote all InfoPath fields to Sharepoint list (so there is one to one mapping) if you do so you will be export the data or connect to list from Excel.
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  • Thanks Marek, can you supply more specifics. I do not understand point 1 - what do you mean "specify Tile"? Also, need more specifics on #4, how do you "promote" the fields in Infopath?
    – Leslie Scouras
    Commented Mar 8, 2018 at 16:20
  • Sorry i meant file name. When you configure the submit option you need to create some function that will give the form unique file name (title) in this example they use the item ID as fileName wonderlaura.com/2011/11/15/…
    – Marek Sarad
    Commented Mar 13, 2018 at 13:25
  • Thanks Marek, I've added some detail, an image and additional questions to my original post - could you take a look there please?
    – Leslie Scouras
    Commented Mar 13, 2018 at 15:44
  • No all change request will not be saved to the same file. IP form in the end is just xml and what you doing is giving this xml file a name it needs to be unique for each form you submit. You need to use the function button (on the right hand side from the 'File name' field in your second screenshot) to create name based on some data in the form (in your case it will be probably change request number or something similar)
    – Marek Sarad
    Commented Mar 14, 2018 at 8:57
  • Thanks again Marek - so are you saying that because the form produces just an XLM in the end, that there is no way to collect multiple records? Would we need to add a field that generates a unique record number in order for it to save each xml record with a unique name? Would there then be a way to consolidate each of these into a single file...other than to cut and paste them into say an excel file?
    – Leslie Scouras
    Commented Mar 16, 2018 at 14:54

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