XML-based XForms approved by W3C

 

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By Alun Williams

Posted on 16 Oct 2003 at 13:55

HTML forms have been around since the early days of the Web, but the standards body W3C has now formally approved an XML equivalent. XForms 1.0 is now a W3C Recommendation.

Separating the 'logic' of data from the 'physical details' of its implementation has always been XML's selling point, and that has now been brought to the world of forms. In layman's terms, the gathering of location details, as an example, would separate the issues of collecting street and postcode data away from the details of the size and exact shape of the text-entry boxes that may be drawn.

XForms, explains W3C, splits the traditional HTML form into three parts: an XForms model, instance data, and the XForms user interface. Essentially, in the 'spirit of write once run everywhere', the same form could be delivered to a PDA, mobile phone or desktop machine.

Among those who see XForms as an opportunity to end the nightmare of developing and maintaining HTML forms is Mark Birbeck, CEO and CTO of x-port.net, who is also an Invited Expert on two W3C Working Groups, for XForms and HTML.

x-Port was joint first to produce an implementation of the XForms standard - necessary for W3C to give it full recommended status - and Birbeck describes it as 'specifying what the form does, not how it does it - a standard way of expressing forms'.

He believes that in the very short-term it will be Web-based developers will gain the most. But in the medium-term end-users should also benefit from the range and sophistication of new applications - not just in the realm of data capture, but in the simplification of existing Web Services.

Birbeck makes the point that Web Services - whether .Net or Java based - have required server side processing that creates an overhead for the developer. XForms brings access to such services to the client - potentially opening up the facilities of Google, Amazon and any one else who publishes Web services via XML.

And its not just large-scale, corporate developers that could benefit - he envisages a more widespread use. Describing its as almost a 'standardised VB', he sees people being able to quickly and easily knock up powerful form interfaces.

In the longer term, the technology has, he considers, the potential to help create new types of online applications, by better harnessing the power of XML - the ability to do your accounts online would be only one example.

While providing a free 'white label' formsPlayer plugin for IE6 (modules for PocketPC and Netscape should follow in 2004) x-port will also be licensing the technology to companies looking to brand the system.

See www.formsplayer.com for more details of formsPlayer and samples of use, for example interfacing to Google through a simple XForm.

Details of other XForms implementations can be found on the W3C website, covering a range of devices such as mobile phones, PDAs, voice browsers, PCs, and instant messaging clients. Interestingly, W3C says no specification has been as widely implemented so early in its life cycle as XForms.

Another benefit of XForms will be in the area of accessibility. Users with special requirements for accessing data should have a better chance of customised interfaces.