Repeating table bound to secondary data source: can't add columns and rows

Question

I'm trying to create a form (in a form library) that updates multiple lists using InfoPath. I have a media inventory list that contains:

• Media Type
• Total Discs Available
• Min. Discs Threshold

Another list contains detailed information for each media in inventory:

• Media Type
• Company name
• Discs per spindle
• Spindles in stock
• Discs Total

The form would allow a user to select a media type and see in detail what that they have in the backstore:

The problem I am encountering is that my repeating table (the inventory table) is bound to a secondary data source (the detailed inventory list). As such, I can't add columns unless I create additional fields in the list. Also, I can't add rows to the table, the option just isn't there. I'm guessing it's due to the binding to the secondary data source. The user needs to be able to add rows in the event where he purchases discs from a company that is not listed.

My questions:

• How can I add columns to the table without adding fields to my secondary data source ? (i.e.: "Spindles Purchased" and "Discs Total").
• How do I allow row insertion ?
• How do I update my secondary data source using the data in my repeating table ?

Thanks

Answer 1

Hussein,

You should not connect your repeating tables and controls to Secondary Data Source instead use a middle layer Web Service for inserting data into the SharePoint Lists..

Call the Web Service from InfoPath forms and send data in raw XML, in Web Service you can parse XML and fetch data.. Using SharePoint Object Model, add this data to SharePoint Lists!

This works best..