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Does InfoPath (still) suck?

A couple of years ago, I wrote a blog post titled "InfoPath & SharePoint (Part 1)". Back then I had just started working on a project using InfoPath 2007. So, expectedly, the post wasn't very complimentary to InfoPath (or SharePoint). In fact, I said:
InfoPath sucks and SharePoint is the most expensive piece of crap ever. InfoPath, as a development environment, has absolutely no redeeming value. It's worthless.... (more)
Since then my opinion of InfoPath has changed slightly. It still suffers from all the flaws I pointed out in that post. However, I think when used right, InfoPath can be an OK tool. I think it's well suited for designing one off forms and not for anything that requires complex logic or multiple iterations (like most software development requires). Alas, most CTOs fall in love with its point & click simplicity and integration with SharePoint that they try to use it to replace more developed technologies like ASP.NET. What do you get? A horrible development environment that's absolutely not suited for software development and highly paid software developers designing InfoPath forms. See this link for an an example of how InfoPath makes something very simple and basic very complicated.

With the 2010 version, there's been many nice changes to InfoPath. But it still makes me chuckle that a Google search for "InfoPath sucks" turns up my blog post.

Comments

  1. AnonymousFri Nov 04, 02:36:00 PM EST

    It DOES, RULES KEEP ON DISAPPEARING ! PIECE OF CRAP ! VERY VERY HARD TO DEBUG, EXTREMELY SLOW, A CHEAP COPIED VERSION OF ORACLE FORMS

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousMon Feb 27, 10:31:00 AM EST

    I've 8 years of ASP.NET C# experience out of 20 years in software development and abour 27 years as a programmer of some sort. I've spent 3 years working with SharePoint mostly 2010 and I basically trust my own judgement above anyone elses of a technology.
    I've had a few projects where InfoPath was inflicted upon me and the odd occasion where I'd choose it. Basically I agree completely with your assessment, InfoPath is just sophisticated enought to trick the unwarey into using it for forms that need a fair bit of logic with them and thats where it fast becomes a complete nightmare. I'm at the end of 3 days bending InfoPath to my business requriement where I would have been done inside 3 hours with ASP.NET. C# FormCode mixed with list event handlers and front end InfoPath "Rules".... it's beyond a joke. Oh and they never got around to implementing Managed Metadata taxonomy fields into InfoPath either....
    "InfoPath is crap" comes straight to this page too by the way ;)

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousWed Mar 28, 01:06:00 PM EST

    It is an absolute POS.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousTue Apr 02, 04:33:00 PM EST

    Right now, I'm burning midnight oil to finish the external list's custom form in InfoPath. More precisely I'm in the middle of trying to figure out why I even took this job.

    To calm my nerves with some rants I googled "InfoPath sucks". I'm hoping it'll help :-)

    ReplyDelete

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