Query on InfoPath data storage

Question

I have a query on InfoPath 2013 forms. I have designed an InfoPath 2013 form where there are large number of fields (controls) where data would reside, like text-boxes, drop-down, etc. My concern is, should I continue to hold the data on InfoPath form itself or should I save the data to a custom list and retrieve from there while the form is being rendered?

Which is the better one in terms of performance, holding the data on form or saving to and retrieving from a custom list/form library?

I am little confused regarding the saving of data... where does the data of InfoPath resides? So please help me to clear my doubts.

Thanks.

Answer 1

Zakir,

Comparing SharePoint List and Form Library Forms , this post answers your question.

An excerpt from the article:

SharePoint list forms store data directly in a SharePoint list. Each control (e.g. text box) in the form is bound to a column in the list. SharePoint list forms are directly connected to the list, which means that you don’t have to worry about setting up the publish and submit locations.

Form library forms store data in XML files in a SharePoint form library. This means they are more flexible and you can do more with them. For example, they can be configured to save drafts and submit to different locations. However, they are more complex to work with and require more decisions to be made during configuration.

EDIT
MSDN explains best practices for using InfoPath
Building SharePoint Applications with InfoPath 2010 (Part 1 of 2)
Building SharePoint Applications with InfoPath 2010 (Part 2 of 2)