The State of the eForms Market
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Transcript The State of the eForms Market
XML Meets Forms
Micah Dubinko, CDIA
Chief XML Architect
Editor, W3C XForms
Cardiff Software, Inc.
3220 Executive Ridge Drive
Vista, CA 92083
www.Cardiff.com
Copyright 1997-2002 Cardiff Software Inc. All rights reserved.
Why Put Forms Online?
• $22.5B Spent on Pre-Printed Forms (US)
(DMIA Formtrac)
• 30% of Pre-Printed Forms Turn to Waste
(DMIA Formtrac)
• A Single Paper Form Costs An Organization
$30 - $165 to Use, Process and Enter
(Microsoft Study)
Copyright 1997-2002 Cardiff Software Inc. All rights reserved.
Historical eForm Approaches Have
Limitations
• Proprietary eForm formats - vendor lock-in
•
•
•
•
Client/server
Browser plugins
Java applets
Proprietary formats: XFDL, XFA
• eForms = Programming
• Unfriendly for non-technical users
• Creation & maintenance of forms is IT-resource
intensive
• Few vendors offer migration path from paper
• Getting from paper to eForms is slow, expensive
• Once on eForms, no automated support for paper
Copyright 1997-2002 Cardiff Software Inc. All rights reserved.
“5 Phases of eForms”
Phase1
“Print to
PDF
And Put
Online”
Phase2
“Fill and
Print”
Phase3
“Design, Fill,
Validate, Print
or Submit”
Phase4
“Fill,
Validate,
Print/Submit
and Route”
Phase5
“Design, Fill,
Validate, Attach,
Print/Submit,
Route, Digitally
Sign, and
Output/Connect”
Copyright 1997-2002 Cardiff Software Inc. All rights reserved.
World Web Consortium (W3C)
XForms
• XForms Working Group created to define a
Web-based standard for presentation and
information
• W3C XForms Working Group
• Members include Cardiff Software, IBM,
Oracle, Netscape, HP, Xerox, Ericsson,
Mozquito and others…
• Author and technical editor of the draft
specification
Copyright 1997-2002 Cardiff Software Inc. All rights reserved.
Agenda
• The New XForms Standard
• XForms Design Goals
• XForms Quick Tour
• XForms vs. Closed Systems
• Preparing for XForms Today
• Further Information
Copyright 1997-2002 Cardiff Software Inc. All rights reserved.
XForms Requirements
•
•
•
•
Define XML interface for eForms
Define form presentation format
Define data format and structure
Leverage XML Schema, later XML
Digital Signature
• Provide a suitable replacement for
HTML forms
• Provide greater Accessibility
Copyright 1997-2002 Cardiff Software Inc. All rights reserved.
XForms Design Goals
• Be a good XML citizen
• Seamless integration with other XML tag sets
• Anywhere, anyone, any time, any device
• Support for desktop browsers, handheld,
phones, ATMs, gasoline pumps, etc…
• Remove Script Dependencies
• Richer user interface to meet the needs of
business, consumer and device control
applications
• From simple client/server to n-tier
• Decoupled data, logic and presentation
Copyright 1997-2002 Cardiff Software Inc. All rights reserved.
A Brief History of eForm Standards
Pre-1993:
Proprietary,
Client/Server
1993:
HTML forms
1994–2001:
Nothing happened
2002:
XForms
Copyright 1997-2002 Cardiff Software Inc. All rights reserved.
HTML Forms Limitations
• Some Assembly Required
• <input value=“initial value”>
• Primitive Data Representation
• URL encoded
• Need Script to do anything…
• Validations
• Calculations
• Dynamic Forms
Copyright 1997-2002 Cardiff Software Inc. All rights reserved.
The “New” Web
100
80
60
40
20
0
2001
2002
2003
2004
Trend: Conventional Browsers are history
Browsers
Devices
Copyright 1997-2002 Cardiff Software Inc. All rights reserved.
XForms Conformance Profiles
• Two conformance profiles to support
wide range of devices
• Basic: small devices, TV, phones, etc.
• Full: desktop browsers, servers
• High-level form control definitions
• Flexibility in implementation
Copyright 1997-2002 Cardiff Software Inc. All rights reserved.
How It Works
• XForms separates the data from the
form definition
<head>
<html>
</html>
XForms Model
</head>
<body>
Purpose
(non-visible)
Presentation
Form controls
</body>
Copyright 1997-2002 Cardiff Software Inc. All rights reserved.
How It Fits In
W3C Standards
XML, XSL, etc.
Core
Application
W3C XForms,Schemas
XML Sign
Vendor Implementations
Frameworks
Implementation
XForms
Services
Platform
Designer/HTML/PDF/XML
ToolsServer (Routing, etc)
Web
Connectivity (Data/Archive)
User Presentation
HTML
Adobe PDF
Others via XSL
Copyright 1997-2002 Cardiff Software Inc. All rights reserved.
XForms Model
• Defines the ‘Purpose’ of the form
• Includes:
• Instance Data
• XForms specific properties and actions
• Submit Information
Copyright 1997-2002 Cardiff Software Inc. All rights reserved.
XForms Model
• Single, deviceindependent XML
form definition
• Works with standard
or proprietary user
interfaces
Copyright 1997-2002 Cardiff Software Inc. All rights reserved.
Separate Purpose from Data
Purpose
Presentation
Data
Event Registration
Arrangement of
form controls
Registration
information
Employee
hours worked
UI for collecting
dates and times
worked
Days and hours
worked
eCommerce
application
Present shopping
user interface
Order, shipping,
and payment info
Information
request
Integrate forms UI
into WWW page
User contact
information
Copyright 1997-2002 Cardiff Software Inc. All rights reserved.
XForms Instance
• Provides template for your data
• Provides default or partially submitted
data
• Can be inline or referenced externally
Copyright 1997-2002 Cardiff Software Inc. All rights reserved.
XForms Without Scripting
• XML Schema defines static constraints
• Datatypes
• minimum/maximum occurrences
• XForms extends these with ‘computed
expressions’
• Evaluated at runtime
• Is something relevant or required?
• Calculated fields
Copyright 1997-2002 Cardiff Software Inc. All rights reserved.
XForms UI Controls
• <selectOne ref="my:icecream/my:flavor">
<caption>Flavour</caption>
<item><caption>Vanilla</caption><value>v</value></item>
<item><caption>Strawberry</caption><value>s</value></item>
<item><caption>Chocolate</caption><value>c</value></item>
</selectOne>
listbox
checkbox
radio
menu
Copyright 1997-2002 Cardiff Software Inc. All rights reserved.
XForms Vs. HTML Controls
XForms form
control
Closest HTML
equivalent
Description
<input>
<input type="text">
For entry of small amounts of text
<textarea>
<textarea>
For entry of large amounts of text
<secret>
<input
type="password">
For entry of sensitive information
<output>
N/A
For inline display of any instance data
<range>
N/A
For smooth "volume control" selection of a
value
<upload>
<input type="file">
For upload of file or device data
<button>
<button>
For activation of form events
<submit>
<input type="submit">
For submission of form data
<selectOne>
<select> or <input
type="radio">
For selection of one option among several
<selectMany>
<select
multiple="multiple">
For selection of many options
Copyright 1997-2002 Cardiff Software Inc. All rights reserved.
XForms Actions
• Defines common set of behaviors for
forms
• Allows event processing without
requiring Javascript
Copyright 1997-2002 Cardiff Software Inc. All rights reserved.
XForms Action
•
Messages
•
•
•
<message level=“ephemeral”>Please enter the number…</message>
<message level=“modal”>This field is required (Street)</message>
<message level=“modeless”>Have you forgotten your password</message>
modeless
ephemeral
modal
Copyright 1997-2002 Cardiff Software Inc. All rights reserved.
XForms Submit
Submit
• Provides How, Where, and
What to submit
• Multiple models per page
• Partial form submission
• Default is ‘post’ of XML
Instance
Copyright 1997-2002 Cardiff Software Inc. All rights reserved.
HTML vs. XForms
HTML
1. Poor integration
with XML
2. Device dependent,
running well only
on desktop
browsers
3. Blending of purpose
and presentation
4. Limited accessibility
features
XForms
1. Excellent XML and
Schema
integration
2. Device
independent, yet
still useful on
desktop browsers
3. Strong separation
of purpose from
presentation
4. Universal
accessibility
Copyright 1997-2002 Cardiff Software Inc. All rights reserved.
Client/Server eForms = Closed Systems
Products
Shana
Proprietary Format
Shana Informed
Format
X
PureEdge
PureEdge Form
Format
X
Jetform
FormFlow99
Format
User Experience
Shana
Filler
X
PureEdge
Filler
X
Jetform
Filler
Copyright 1997-2002 Cardiff Software Inc. All rights reserved.
Making the Transition
Preparing for the future of eForms:
• Deploy XML data through Web Services
• RPC-style bad; Document-style good
• Plain-old XML even better
•
•
•
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Don’t assume browser-only access
Avoid dependence on HTML processing
Think beyond client-server
Embrace open standards
Copyright 1997-2002 Cardiff Software Inc. All rights reserved.
For More Information…
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http://www.w3.org/TR/xforms/
http://www.w3.org/MarkUp/Forms
http://www.xml.com/
http://dubinko.info/
• Mailing List:
• [email protected] Subj:“subscribe”
Copyright 1997-2002 Cardiff Software Inc. All rights reserved.