Event Handling In InfoPath

Within the InfoPath 2007, there is the option to handle events using an item called the Event Manager. Similar to the event receiver architecture provided by other facilities of SharePoint, the Event Manager provides mechanisms by which forms can provide and respond to event capturing. Writing code that is consumed by the Event Manager is done using Visual Studio Tools for Application (VSTA), and when choosing to program events off the InfoPath design surface it will attempt to open the VSTA IDE.

The Event Manager is called from the InternalStartup() method, which controls the events that are registered when a form is initially loaded. Each event that should be captured can be registered within the InternalStartup() method and then delegates can be constructed to encapsulate a reference to a method which handles the events tripped custom code.

There are several events that can be captured and managed when leveraging the Event Manager.

Event Capturing Available Through the Event Manager

Event Type	Event Capture	Action	Delegate
Control Event	OnClick	When a user clicks a control in InfoPath	ClickedEventHandler(object sender, Microsoft.Office.InfoPath.ClickedEventArgs e)
Form Event	OnSaveRequest	When a user saves an InfoPath Form	SaveEventHandler(object sender, Microsoft.Office.InfoPath.SaveEventArgs e)
Form Event	OnContextChange	When a user changes a Form Context, such as when a form is submitted	SubmitEventHandler(object sender, Microsoft.Office.InfoPath.SubmitEventArgs e)
Form Event	OnSign	When a user signs an InfoPath form with a digital signature	SignEventHandler(object sender, Microsoft.Office.InfoPath.SignEventArgs e)
Form Event	OnMergeRequest	When a user merges a set of InfoPath forms (merge operation)	MergeEventHandler(object sender, Microsoft.Office.InfoPath.MergeEventArgs e)
Form Event	OnSwitchView	When an InfoPath view is changed (switch view operation)	ViewSwitchedEventHandler(object sender, Microsoft.Office.InfoPath.ViewSwitchedEventArgs e)
Xml Event	OnBeforeChange	Before a passed XPath node is changed, wire an XML event	XmlChangedEventHandler(object sender, Microsoft.Office.InfoPath.XmlEventArgs e)
Xml Event	OnValidate	When an XPath node is being validated, wire an XML event	XmlChangingEventHandler(object sender, Microsoft.Office.InfoPath.XmlChangingEventArgs e)
Xml Event	OnAfterChange	After an XPath node is changed, wire an XML event	XmlValidatingEventHandler(object sender, Microsoft.Office.InfoPath.XmlValidatingEventArgs e)

Registering View Delegate in InternalStartup()

Using the InfoPath event handlers is as straight-forward as the event receiver/listener architecture that is present with SharePoint content types and list definitions. The event being captured must be registered within the InternalStartup() method by standard declaration. Wiring an event to display a message box telling the user they are switching views requires registering the event first.

PLAIN TEXT

C#:

<div class="cf">void InternalStartup(object sender, EventArgs e) </div>
<div class="cf">{ </div>
<div class="cf">((FormControl)sender).EventManager.FormEvents.ViewSwitched += new ViewSwitchedEventHandler(OnSwitchView); </div>
<div class="cf">}</div>
<div class="cf"> </div>
<div class="cf">

View Delegate

Once the handler has been registered within the InternalStartup() method, the event handler that it is called can be declared by a delegate.

PLAIN TEXT

C#:

</div>
<div class="cf">public delegate void ViewSwitchedEventHandler(object sender, Microsoft.Office.InfoPath.ViewSwitchedEventArgs e) </div>
<div class="cf">{ </div>
<div class="cf">MessageBox.Show("You are switching InfoPath Views!"); </div>
<div class="cf">}</div>
<div class="cf">

With the event wired as such, whenever a user switches InfoPath views, a message box displays, confirming that they are switching views. More elegant event handlers could be developed depending on the event capturing logic that is required; however the overall concept remains the same.

By the same token, it is possible to validate the XML fields so a user entering null values into an InfoPath form is passed a message.

Register Event in InternalStartup()

First, register the XML event handler in the InternalStartup() method. Since it is an XML event, an XPath statement is required in order for InfoPath to know which control to validate against.

PLAIN TEXT

C#:

</div>
<div class="cf">public void InternalStartup()</div>
<div class="cf">{ </div>
<div class="cf">EventManager.XmlEvents["/my:myFields/my:ProSharePoint2007Field "].Validating += new XmlValidatingEventHandler(ProSharePoint2007Field_Validating);</div>
<div class="cf">}</div>
<div class="cf">

Once the event handler has been registered, the actual event logic can be wired to the event to be called when the XML event is tripped.

Validating a Null Value with Event Handling

Use a String.IsNullOrEmpty “if” check on the value being passed into the InfoPath control to verify a null entry. Otherwise, you can use the Errors.Add method in order to point each error to the XML node, or InfoPath field the error is associated with; in this case the ProSharePoint2007Field. The other error handling method in the below code is the Error.Delete method which removes the error handler if no errors are encountered in the InfoPath field. Any number of string comparison options that are available through the .NET framework could be leveraged if you’re looking for a more elegant error-checking mechanism.

PLAIN TEXT

C#:

</div>
public void ProSharePoint2007Field_Validating(object sender, XmlValidatingEventArgs e)
{
if (!String.IsNullOrEmpty(e.NewValue))
{
Errors.Add(e.Site, "ProSharePoint2007Field ", "Null Values are not allowed!");
}
else
{
Errors.Delete("ProSharePoint2007Field ");
}
}