XForms

Overview Web databases have become an important foundation of e-commerce. Keeping both a customer’s and a vendor’s data current is critical for smooth e-commerce operations. Multi-user databases also need to be accurate, updateable, and secure--a tricky problem for databases requiring hundreds or thousands of simultaneous users. XForms is a technology that helps to accomplish these goals on many different platforms. Online resources for XForms can be obtained with ease, particularly from the W3C.

General Information XForms technology excels in flexibility and accessibility, areas in which static Web publishing has failed. In her article “XForms: Creating Forms in XML”, Jennifer Kyrnin not only explains how to create XForms, but also compares them to HTML forms. If you’re looking for a more in-depth article, then read “What are XForms?” by Micah Dubinko. This article discusses the relationship between XForms technology and XML, as well as between XForms and HTML forms. Interesting topics in Chelsea Valentine’s and Chris Minnick’s book Understanding XForms (New Riders, 2001), include a concise description of XForms, an overview of their history, and a discussion of their use today. Additional information about XForms and database management can be found on the TopXML Web site (www.topxml.com/xml/articles/xmldb). 

Online XForms Resources The W3C provides useful XForms information. Visit the W3C’s page (www.w3.org/MarkUp/Forms) for discussions, articles, goals, and a list of XForms implementations. Also found on this Web site is the “W3C XForms 1.0 Working Draft” (www.w3.org/TR/xforms/index.html), which includes their XForms specifications. It provides several examples of how XForms can be used. Online tutorials are another great way for you to familiarize yourself with XForms. Visit About.com’s XForms Guide Picks page at html.about.com/cs/xforms/index.htm for links to several XForms tutorials. Those who are truly serious about learning about XForms should visit the XForms School Web page (W3schools.com) for detailed tutorials.