Create an approval workflow In SharePoint designer

 To create a Workflow in SPD 2010 see this video http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint-designer-help/video-create-an-approval-workflow-in-sharepoint-designer-2010-VA101897477.aspx

I used the SPD 2007 to create an approval workflow for an InfoPath form library.
It had to work by sending an email and getting the approve or reject status to a form an approver, then send emails to users, notifying them of their status
The only thing was, that the approvers had to be a list of users who would be selected from the InfoPath form .
I started off from here http://www.u2u.info/Blogs/Kevin/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=39
Thats a cool post that help to start off (and end ) . Thanks Kevin.
here's a nice post too http://cycogeek.fiesta25.com/blogs/cycogeek/page/Create-Custom-Approval-Workflow-with-SharePoint-Designer.aspx
In the step called 'user' (in the above link) I had to choose a variable from the InfoPath form. please refer to my earlier posthttp://saudkhansblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/send-mail-from-infopath.html form sending mail from InfoPath.
After gathering the approver process and other variables, namely- comments and approve
I had to send two mails at once, ie. one to the creator and a cc to the person holiday is requested for.
If it were the same person, then it should send just one email, else should send two mails .
This can be done by adding 3 else if conditions, (and the first if , so totally 4)

like :
if Holiday Approve equals Approve
and if created by equals accountID
then send one mail to created by(approved mail)
else iff Holiday Approve equals Reject

and if created by equals accountID

then send one mail to created by(reject mail)

else if Holiday Approve equals Approve

and if created by not equals accountID

then send mail to created by with cc to accountID (approve mail)

else if Holiday Approve equals Reject

and if created by not equals accountID

then send mail to created by with cc to accountID (reject mail)

not another thing when you send the mail, you send the URL form current items, dont do that

coz if the url has spaces it won't work

Use EncodedUrl instead, this will have the whole correct path to the document.

If you need any help just ask

Thanks

send mail from InfoPath

To send mails from InfoPath ,a customized workflow should do

 see here first http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe6b3zegpEU

The SharePoint designer can be used to create custom workflows, and hence send simple emails
The idea is to create a workflow that uses form library in the workflow to use at least one of its column fields (by column field I mean, one that is promoted to be shown on the SharePoint library) .

Once that is defined then use the actions in the workflow settings to send the mail.

InfoPath forms in webpages

On SharePoint 2007 it is possible to display an InfoPath form as a web page Provided the form is developed in web compatibility mode
and ofcourse there are the other settings, in SharePoint Administration that need to be taken care of.
Here is a checklist that helps a lot http://vspug.com/aziz/2008/01/27/a-checklist-for-enabling-browser-forms-with-forms-services-and-sharepoint-2007/ and to design a form so that it shows up fine on a web page this link helps http://blogs.technet.com/b/jessmeats/archive/2009/05/11/infopath-forms-within-sharepoint-pages.aspx
The thing is I had InfoPath 2010 and SharePoint 2007 to work with and also I was using some controls on a form that had to be 2010 (i mean InfoPath 2010) like the people picker
So I started off with the checklist;
I did the SharePoint 2007 administration part, i.e :

• Go to Central Administration, then  choose the Application Management tab on the top of the page. Click on Configure InfoPath Forms Services in the InfoPath Forms Services section and check both "Allow users to browser-enable form templates" and "Render form templates that are browser-enabled by users" checkboxes, then OK this page.

Then

• Open your SharePoint site, click on Site Actions -> Site Settings, select Site collection features under Site Collection Administration and activate InfoPath Forms Services support.

The next step is to design the form. Like I said I had InfoPath 2010, there is some difference in the way the check for compatibility for the web page is done,
Once the form is developed , you have to go to the file menu and click on the 'Design Checker'
then it checks wether the form is of to be opened in a web page.
While publishing the form, in step 3 , 'Enable this form to be filled out by using a browser' is to be checked and the last step remains the same i.e

• At the end of the publishing wizard, select "Open this document
  library" and click on Close. This will open the document library in the
  browser. Click on Settings/Form Library Settings, then click on
  Advanced Settings and select the "Display as a Web page"
  option in the Browser-enabled Documents category. If you don't choose
  this option, the form will be opened in InfoPath if it's installed on
  the client. Otherwise, it's going to be opened in the browser.
  

If InfoPath is not installed, then the form opens in a browser, else, it opens using the InfoPath.