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X 6 : neXt pleX Xml fleXibility eXperience: Xforms

Session No. 10C. X 6 : neXt pleX Xml fleXibility eXperience: Xforms. Willem de Vries, Remia Simon Jasperse, Kiboko. Agenda. Introduction Background: Flexibility and XML XForms: positioning and concepts Application within Remia’s architecture XForms: inside the models Demo Q&A.

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X 6 : neXt pleX Xml fleXibility eXperience: Xforms

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  1. Session No. 10C X6: neXt pleX Xml fleXibility eXperience: Xforms Willem de Vries, Remia Simon Jasperse, Kiboko

  2. Agenda • Introduction • Background: Flexibility and XML • XForms: positioning and concepts • Application within Remia’s architecture • XForms: inside the models • Demo • Q&A

  3. Introduction • Remia: Manufacturer of Sauces and Margarine • Kiboko: Independent software consultancy • Software development in 2E and Plex • Strategic choice for model based development • Development speed • Reduced maintenance • Pattern-advantage main reason for Plex

  4. Flexibility in applications • Application: Customer Relationship Management • Requirement: high level of configurability • For fast adaptation to business-requirements • To empower users • Example: User Definable Data pattern • Example: Document management module

  5. User definable data pattern and XML • Two level (Feature / Feature aspect) representations of flexible data-structure • XML as a tool to provide ‘single screen’ layout • XML-pattern for creation of ‘data-document’ • XSLT for ‘user-definable’ HTML-generation • Use of XML extended beyond HTML- presentation Short DEMO

  6. Document Management • Business documents like ‘contracts’, ‘letters’, ‘invitations’, ‘resumes’, ‘product-specification-sheet’ • User defines ‘ functional ‘ types • Creation of actual Docs from Plex-application • Handling of external application (e.g. MS-Word) • Interfacing application-data to ‘document’ • Support for external applications programmed ‘individually’

  7. Document-management Technical Concept MS-Word MS-Excel Functional Concept

  8. Flexibility: results • Results of Flexible data structure • Specific layouts for specific purposes • Users like ‘single-screen’ overview • Results of Document system • Fast configuration of ‘forms’ • General available competence: office-templates • Documents ‘managed’ within applications

  9. Flexibility: more to wish ? • Drawbacks of Document system • Information inside not retrievable • Storage / transfer too costly • Too little ‘guidance’ / validation for users User • Single-screen output • Users ask for ‘ Single-screen ‘ input instead of ‘wizards’ and ‘tabs’

  10. Some requirements for documents • Form-like interface to offer ‘guidance’ and validation • Easily configurable (as Word / Excel templates) • Integration with Plex-application based upon data-interface • Structured (XML-) document to support • ‘searchability’ • Integration-facilities in back-office

  11. Possible directions • Altova’s Authentic • Microsoft’s Infopath • Scripting a generalized HTML-solution • XForms: W3C next generation HTML-forms • Promise of ‘open standard’ • Ambitious requirements • Growing support by implementors

  12. Global features of XForms • Events, Actions and Validation: declarative • Full support for XPath for ‘calculations’ and ‘validations’ • Schema-support for data-types and validation • Clean separation of data logic and presentation • Highly regular XML structure • Abstract controls for device-independence • Processor ‘decides’ the actual ‘presentation’ • E.g. Full browser, Mobile phone, Voice……

  13. Flexibility: more to wish ? <fp:model id="rm_model"> <fp:instance id="rm_doc"> <Contract xmlns=""> <Relatie NodeID="1"> <Relatienaam>Eurodisney</Relatienaam> </Relatie> <Currency>EUR</Currency> <ContractDate></ContractDate> <ContractDetails> <DetailLine> <Subtotal/> </DetailLine> </ContractDetails> </Contract> </fp:instance> <fp:bind id="conDate" nodeset="/Contract/ContractDate" required="true()" type="xsd:date"/> <fp:bind id="relNaam" nodeset="/Contract/Relatie/Relatienaam" required="true()"/> <fp:bind nodeset="/Contract/ContractDetails/DetailLine/Subtotal" calculate="../Quantity * ../Price" readonly="true()"/> <fp:submission id="rm_submit1" replace="none" action="url" method="post" ref="instance('rm_doc')"/> </fp:model>

  14. Main elements: model <body> <fp:input bind="conDate"> <fp:label>Contract Date</fp:label> <fp:alert>Please enter a value</fp:alert> </fp:input> <fp:select1 bind="conCurrency" style="display:inline"> <fp:label>Currency</fp:label> <fp:item style="width: 200px;"> <fp:label>Euro</fp:label> <fp:value>EUR</fp:value> </fp:item/> </fp:select1> <fp:repeat id="r1" nodeset="/Contract/ContractDetails/DetailLine"> <fp:output ref="Subtotal"> <fp:label>Subtotal</fp:label> </fp:output> </fp:repeat> <fp:submit submission="rm_submit1"> <fp:label> Ready </fp:label> </fp:submit> </body>

  15. Main elements: result

  16. Implementations (examples) • Client-side • Mozquito DENG (Flash) • Supported in every browser • X-Smiles (Java) • Strong device-independence • X-port Formsplayer (IE 6 plug-in) • Currently most complete implementation • Server-side • Chiba (open source) • Novell’s exteNd (Silverstream)  Mozilla • IBM’s Xforms Package (Alphaworks)  Mozilla

  17. The pilot: XForms-Documents • Development of a new “DocProgramma” • Resulting document is .XML • Interfacing from application-data • Form based on XForms • Enables: • Smaller documents (storage / transfer) • Validation • Processing by back-office applications

  18. Xforms Demo: Document Flow • Document travels through organisation “workflow” • Approval / Edit / Distribution / Function

  19. Xforms Demo: Documentflow • Configuration determines document flow / status • Steps allocated by user function • Todo list

  20. Xforms Demo: Documentflow • User can start document types based on user function • Select a style refers to programme (word / xForms)

  21. Xforms Demo: The Application • DEMO

  22. Xforms Demo: Create xForm Document Xform Pattern • Write Relation data to C/temp/naw.xml • uses Remia XML pattern • Get contract.xhtml location on file system (on database/registry info) • Load contract.xhtml into XMLDOM • Load naw.xml into XMLDOM(2) • Parse naw.xml data into contract.xhtml.Model.instance • Save as C/temp/myForm.xhtml • Display myForm.xhtml in Shdocvw • Save instance XML as 7315.999

  23. Xforms Demo: Create xForm Document

  24. Xforms Demo: Saved XML • Contract XML saved on file system as 7568.45

  25. Xforms Demo: Edit xForm Document • DEMO

  26. Repeat Bind Event Event Bind: Calculate Bind: Calculate Bind: Calculate Bind: Calculate Xforms Demo: xForm Functionality • DEMO Data Typing No Scripting! Repeat

  27. Xforms Demo: Documents • Show XML’s

  28. shdocvw XHTML XML Formsplayer Xforms Demo: Plex Integration Plex • DEMO Translate to Logical Event

  29. Xforms Demo: Register Event WebBrowser1.Navigate FileName Function RegisterForEvent(evtSource,evtName,HandlerName) ' get a pointer to the function with the given name dim fpHandler set fpHandler = getRef(HandlerName) 'bind it to the requested event name evtSource.attachEvent evtName,fpHandler End Function Sub WebBrowser1_DocumentComplete(pDisp, URL) Set g_document = WebBrowser1.Document RegisterForEventg_document.getElementById(submitID), "xforms-submit-done","getAddr_Submit_Done" End Sub Function getAddr_Submit_Done(e) Ad.LogicalEvent("xfSubmit") End Function

  30. Xforms Demo: Save Instance At LogicalEvent("xfSubmit") set g_document = WebBrowser1.Document set model = g_document.getElementById(ModelID) set formDoc = model.getInstanceDocument(InstanceID) formDoc.save (FileName) go sub terminate

  31. Xforms Demo: Experiences • xForms is promising, maturing • Integration with Plex simple • Better document handling Size / Data retrieval • Layout xForms in css needs practice!

  32. Ideas for extension • Physical separation of Model and Layout • Layout as pure user-responsibility • Extending the pattern around documents • Support for database-lookups • Coupling of printing/export facilities • .. • Model-controlled structure for User-defined data • Processing XML-results to database • Meta-programming for panel-alternative

  33. References • W3C • www.w3.org/MarkUp/Forms/ • Micah Dubinko Xforms essentials • http://xformsinstitute.com/essentials/ • x-port.net Ltd • www.formsplayer.com • DSTC University of Queensland • xforms.dstc.edu.au/index.html • Novell • developer.novell.com/xforms/

  34. Xforms Demo: Discussion devries@remia.nl simon@kiboko.nl ppt at www.kiboko.nl

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