What replaces what
Most InfoPath views existed for one of a few reasons. Each has a direct equivalent in the designer:
| What InfoPath did | What you build now | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple views of one form | Tabs on a single form | Each old view becomes a tab the person switches between |
| A view per stage of a process | Sections shown by rule | Show the approval section only once status reaches that point |
| Collapsed detail areas | Accordion containers | Long reference detail stays folded until someone needs it |
| Layout tables for alignment | Columns and Table containers | Proper multi-column layout instead of nested table hacks |
| Grouped field boxes | Panels, Cards, Fieldsets | Visual grouping without building it out of borders by hand |
What if the old form relied on a specific view behaviour?
InfoPath treated views as separate design surfaces, and you switched between them. Forms365 Workspace works the other way around. You build one form and use containers and rules to control what is visible on it. For the overwhelming majority of forms that is the same outcome with less to maintain, because there is a single layout to keep correct rather than four that drift apart. If an old form leaned on some very specific view behaviour, check it against the designer rather than assuming a one-to-one port.
Tabs
If your InfoPath form had four views because it had four logical parts, use tabs. Drop a Tabs container on the canvas, put each group of fields on its own tab, and the person moves between them exactly as they used to. Nothing is hidden from the data underneath, so a report over the list reads the same as ever.
Rules cover the stage-based views
The other common pattern was a view per stage, one for the request and another for the approval. Instead of separate screens, put those parts in sections and let a rule decide which one shows, based on the status field on the record. Someone opening a new request sees the request section; once status moves on, the approval section appears. The conditional logic guide covers how those rules are built.
Do the layout before the rules
That ordering was learnt the hard way. Rules written against a layout you are still moving around tend to need redoing, so:
- Get the containers and fields laid out and looking right.
- Only then add the rules that hide and show them.
Use the preview with the device toggles as you go. A tabbed form that works on a desktop can still be awkward on a phone.
Repeating tables are the other half of most InfoPath migrations, and they work quite differently again. That one has its own walkthrough. For the wider move off InfoPath, start at the InfoPath alternative overview.
Rebuild one of your old forms.
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