How to create a SharePoint State Machine Workflow: Part 2 - Create the initiation form

In Part 2, we will create the workflow's initiation form. In Part 4, we will configure this form to be called in two locations: first, when a user associates the workflow with a document library, and second, when a user instantiates the workflow on a particular document. Thus, we are using the same form as both the association form and the initiation form. Its possible to use different forms collecting different information, but for simplicity, we will use the same form for both.

1. load Microsoft Office InfoPath 2007
2. Under Design a form, click Design a Form Template, click Blank, then click OK
3. if the Contact Selector control has not been added to the controls list, you will need to add it
   a. on the Design Tasks pane, click Controls; if Contact Selector does not appear
      under the Custom controls in the bottom of the list, continue with the following
      steps. If it does appear there (ie you already added it), skip to step 4
   b. click Add or Remove Custom Control...
   c. click Add button
   d. click ActiveX Control and click Next
   e. click Contact Selector from the list and click Next
   f. click Don't include a .cab file and click Next
   g. click Value and click Next
   h. in the Field or group type dropdown, select Field or Group (any data type) and click Finish, Close, OK
4. click Insert, Layout Table..., 2 columns, 4 rows, click OK
5. add two buttons to the right column, last row
6. double-click the first button
   a. change Label to OK
   b. click Rules...
   c. click Add...
   d. click Add Action...
   e. select Submit using a data connection from dropdown
   f. click Add...
   g. be sure Create a new connection to submit data is selected and click Next
   h. select To the hosting environment, such as an ASP.NET page or a hosting application
   i. leave Submit as the name for the data connection and click Finish
   j. click OK
   k. click Add Action...
   l. select Close the form from the dropdown
   m. uncheck If changes have not been saved...
   n. click OK
   o. click OK
   p. click OK
   q. click OK
   r. stretch out OK button
7. double-click the second button
   a. change Label to Cancel
   b. click Rules...
   c. click Add...
   d. click Add Action...
   e. select Close the form from the dropdown
   f. uncheck If changes have not been saved...
   g. click OK
   h. click OK
   i. click OK
   j. click OK
8. in left column, first row, type: Peer Reviewer
9. in left column, second row, type: CC
10. in left column, third row, type: Instructions
11. in the right column, third row, drop a text box control into it
    a. double-click the text box control
    b. change field name to txtInstructions
    c. click Display tab and check Multi-line
    d. click OK
12. resize left column to be smaller than right column, resize txtInstructions to allow
    for multiple lines
13. in the right column, first row, drop a Contact Selector control into it
    a. double-click the control, rename it to gpPeerReviewer, click OK
14. in the right column, second row, drop a Contact Selector control into it
    a. double-click the control, rename it to gpCC, click OK
15. in Design Tasks, click Data Source
    a. double-click myFields and rename it to InitForm and click OK
    b. right click group1 and delete it
    c. right click gpPeerReviewer and click Add
    d. name is Person, the type is Group, check Repeating
    e. right click Person, click Add..., enter name as DisplayName, click OK
    f. right click Person, click Add..., enter name as AccountId, click OK
    g. right click Person, click Add..., enter name as AccountType, click OK
    h. right click Person, click Reference..., click gpCC, click OK
16. make form be able to open in a browser or in a client application
    a. in Design Tasks, click Design Checker, click Change Compatibility Settings...
    b. in the Compatibility category, check Design a form template that can be opened in a browser or InfoPath
    c. in the Security and Trust category, uncheck Automatically determine security level, click Full Trust
    d. click OK
17. create the context for the form so it knows where to retrieve people's names from:
    a. open Notepad and type in the following and save it as Context.xml in the same folder as the workflow:
       <Context
        isStartWorkflow="true"
        isRunAtServer="true"
        provideAllFields="true"
        siteUrl="http://sharepoint2007:100"
       />
    Note: be sure siteUrl is for your site!!!
18. add a secondary data source using Context.xml so form can retrieve contact data:
    a. in Design Tasks, Data Source, click Manage Data Connections...
    b. click Add... 
    c. Create a new connection to Receive Data
    d. click Next
    e. click XML document
    f. click Next
    g. browse to Context.xml
    h. click Next
    i. click Include the data as a resource file in the form template or template part
    j. click Next
    k. leave Context as the name of the data connection
    l. ensure Automatically retrieve data when form is opened is checked
    m. click Finish
    n. click Close
19. save form in My Documents as PeerReviewInit.xsn
20. retrieve the form's id
    a. click File, Properties
    b. copy text in ID textbox into notepad to be used in a later step. it should look like this:
       urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:infopath:PeerReviewInit:-myXSD-2008-07-23T13-50-07
21. publish the InfoPath form
    a. click File, Publish
    b. select To a network location
    c. click Next
    d. browse to the workflow project's location and name the file PeerReviewInit.xsn
    e. click OK
    f. click Next
    g. delete the path in the textbox and click Next
    h. click Publish
    i. click Close
22. create the schema for the form so the workflow can reference the contents of the form
    a. click File, Save as source files...
    b. browse to the folder where the workflow is
    c. click OK
    d. close Microsoft InfoPath (you will not be able to make any changes to the form once InfoPath is closed)
    e. click Start, Run, type CMD and click OK
    f. change folder to the workflow's folder
    g. type:   xsd myschema.xsd /c /language:VB     (Note: you may have to find xsd.exe on your HD first)
    h. rename the resulting myschema.vb to InitForm.vb
23. add file to workflow project
    a. in Visual Studio in Solution Explorer, Show All Files
    b. right-click InitForm.vb and click Include In Project

Posts in this series:
Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: Create the initiation form
Part 3: Create the task form
Part 4: Create the state machine workflow
Part 5: Add workflow history logging
Part 6: Add task notification emails