This post is a “how to” tutorial, showing how can a data from SQL Server table be loaded into a “Repeating section” control in Nintex Forms. Needless to say, having that data inside the control allows then to manipulate it and treat each row as a single record, thanks to the possibility of saving contents of the control as XML.
Ever wondered how to display SQL table inside your Nintex Form? Indeed, there is the “SQL Request” action, but it only allows you to show data from database as a dropdown, list of options, etc… and always – just a single column.
My last project required creation of a dynamic list of approvers for the approval process (a coincidence? ), based on a location and volume threshold. And some other parameters, but this is not a case. At first I naturally thought about a list, that would hold such mappings for me. Then I thought to query that list within a workflow, using filtering to gather only a specific subset and then, using a state machine, to go through and assign tasks.
But there was a catch! Customer expected, that the form should allow to display that list of dynamically gathered approvers and then to show how each one expressed approval. And with the possibility to add or remove existing ones!
The new way of building forms has been announced during the Nintex annual conference, formerly called “InspireX” (now “xchange“) during the presentation “What’s planned for Nintex Forms” (you can find it at the bottom of the page here or download the PDF here and a blog post about that is here). At that moment not very much was shown, but as the time went by, more and more facts were being unveiled.
During Nintex Roadshow in Europe, that took place in spring, even more facts and a working beta was presented. Then not that much later, Euan Gamble, Nintex Forms Product Manager, invited me and some other vTEs to the Nintex Responsive Forms Advance Preview.
A week ago Nintex Responsive Forms’ general availability has been officially announced and today they finally reached European Office 365 tenants and are available in upgrade, for customers having software assurance in on-premise Nintex versions.