Some organizations use Microsoft Office Excel workbooks as forms to collect data. These workbooks usually include blank cells for users to enter data. You can convert a workbook to a Microsoft Office InfoPath form template by using the Import Wizard in InfoPath. By converting a workbook to a form template, your users can benefit from InfoPath features such as schema validation, dynamic controls such as repeating sections, and business logic such as data validation. In addition, you can make your form template available to a wider audience by creating a browser-enabled form template. To create a browser-enabled form template, you must publish a browser-compatible form template to a server that is running InfoPath Forms Services. Forms based on browser-enabled form templates can be filled out by using a Web browser.
Use the settings in the Import Options dialog box to change the options for importing a Microsoft Office Excel workbook to Microsoft Office InfoPath.
What do you want to import?
Layout only Click this option if you want to preserve the layout of the Excel workbook when you import it, but not the form fields if any exist.
Layout and form fields (default conversion) Click this option if you want to use the default settings to preserve the layout of the Excel workbook when you import it and convert cells that are used to collect data into text box controls.
Layout and form fields (custom conversion) Click this option if you want to preserve the layout of the Excel workbook when you import it. Then choose options under Custom conversion settings to convert cells that are used to collect data into text box controls.
Custom conversion settings
Detect repeating tables Select this check box if you want tables in the Excel workbook that have two or more identical rows to be converted to repeating tables in the resulting InfoPath form template. Rows where all cells contain a consistent column type and format are considered identical rows. For example, if all cells in column A are formatted to display text, and all cells in column B are formatted to display numbers as currency, the adjacent rows that contain cells from those columns are considered identical rows.
Convert to text box
Use the following options to customize the conversion process. These options are available only if you clicked Layout and form fields (custom conversion):
Cells containing formulas Select this check box if you want cells in the Excel workbook that contain formulas to be converted into text boxes in the resulting InfoPath form template. For example, if column A, cell 2 in the workbook contains a formula, the cell that corresponds to column A, cell 2 in the resulting form template will contain a text box control. Formulas from the workbook are not preserved, however.
Cells containing numeric data Select this check box if you want cells that contain numeric data to be converted into text boxes in the resulting form template. For example, if a cell is formatted to display numbers, it will be converted into a text box control.
Cells referenced by formulas Select this check box if you want cells referenced by formulas to be converted into text boxes in the resulting form template. For example, if column A, cell 2 in the workbook contains a formula to display the value of column C, cell 3, both corresponding cells in the resulting form template will contain text box controls. Formulas or references between worksheets are not imported.
Empty cells with borders Select this check box if you want empty cells in the workbook that have border formatting applied on all four sides to be converted into text boxes in the resulting form template.
