I’ve been working with SharePoint for over a decade and the forms have always been an issue. Stakeholders have requested cascading columns and form controls to hide information from users at different stages of the process or workflow.
Over the years three major approaches developed: InfoPath, JavaScript Frameworks such as Stratus Forms, and Nintex Forms.
InfoPath is now a complete nightmare for organizations that adopted this tool. The repeating columns feature created a hot XML mess that developers dread. All of these forms will require intervention.
JavaScript Frameworks became the Open Source alternative to InfoPath and commercial products. The process is to add Code Libraries in your environment ( or worse yet connect to an external Common Code ) and then modify the native SharePoint forms with HTML calls to the JavaScript libraries.
This was all good until organizations migrated these forms and applications to O365 Cloud. Then they failed.
Nintex now owns the third party space for SharePoint Forms and Workflow development after acquiring K2. The tool allows developer’s and designers to use cascading columns as well as form rules to hide and manipulate data on the form.
I have worked with all the above methods and have cleaned up all except InfoPath.
I believe that Users have been tortured long enough with these forms. I believe that Users are intelligent and that there is no reason to hide things from them. I know that anything that you put into a system ( database ) has the risk of being exposed.
For your review my new modular approach to Solution Development using only native SharePoint.