Auto-populate the person/Group picker from the current user on InfoPath 2007/2010/2013

If you need to fill the default value of the person/group picker with the current logged user when the form is loading, there is an easy way to do it. The following steps will show you how to do it:

1. Create a web service connection to get the user profile information from the current user:
• Manage Data Connections -> Add -> Receive Data -> SOAP Web Service:
• Include the location of the SOAP Web service definition:
• http://YourServer/_vti_bin/UserProfileService.asmx?WSDL
• Select GetUserProfileByName
• Make sure the "Automatically retrieve data when form is opened" option is ticked.

  2. Add a Person/Group picker field to your info path form

 3. Create a new action rule in the "Form Load" to run under a condition, if needed, i.e: Add the current user into the Person/Group picker field when the Person/Group picker field is blank: 

DisplayName is blank

4. Set the Person/group picker DisplayName to PreferredName

5. Set the Person/group picker AccountId to AccountName

  6. Set the Person/group picker AccountType to "User"

Now, when the form is loaded the person/group picker will be populated automatically with the current user information.

The person Group/picker field can disable for editing by users, you just need to add a formatting rule that always complies, so users cannot edit the field.

You can promote the user details to the SharePoint form library (i.e: if you are using a custom workflow and you need the user email address or you need the user name/surname).

To promote the "person group picker" field, select the "DisplayName" field if you need the Name/Surname of the user, or the "AccountId" if you need the Login Id (You can use the Login Id to get the email address using a custom SharePoint workflow). For the both promotions do not forget to select "first" within the "function" drop down list.