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XForms

What are XForms?

XForms is W3C's name for Web forms that can be used with a wide variety of devices. XForms are viewed as a possible a replacement for HTML Forms.

XForms cannot be used natively with existing HTML browser and really requires a completely new Web browser, and it is unlikely that Internet Explorer will ever natively support XForms. The more likely route is that a plugin of some type will need to be installed in order to use XForms within normal browsers.

Although XForms are in many ways better than HTML Forms they are far more difficult to write, requiring an expert in various XML standards to put them together. Hence specific developer tools will be needed in order to create them. Furthermore, being device independent, they contain virtually no information about form layout and have to be embedded within another document (e.g. HTML) to provide this information. This both limits their usability and requires the services of a Web designer to work in tandem with the XForms developer. Finally, although the XForms definition provides support for multi-page forms, just like HTML Forms if the form is non-trivial then you'll need to split it across several pages.

XForms and Mandoforms

Mandoforms have also long since recognised the limitations of HTML Forms, and this helped to drive the first Mandoforms back in 1998. Hence we welcome the development of XForms and intend to support XForms as it develops. To back this up the Mandoforms Builder can already be used to create XForms. Existing XForms, can also be converted into Mandoforms as well, providing the future promise of XForms today, together with the richer features of Mandoforms, using a standard browser with no plugins.

At Mandoforms, we provide tools for building forms that have a consistent user-friendly interface and usability is one of the key USPs of Mandoforms. Mandoforms can then be delivered to virtually any browser, on any platform, addressing the widest audience without the need for any browser plugins or support for javascript. They are also highly accessible allowing the creation of forms that comply with the highest standards in this area. And best of all, this can all be done by one user with little technical skill, and without having to create separate forms for each type of browser.

The server architecture introduced in Mandoforms V3 allows us to easily add support for new delivery channels, such as XForms-capable browsers as they become available. In this way Mandoforms allows you to develop forms that provide the best user experience available today, but with the capability to support new systems that may provide a better user experience in the future.

Of course data capture is only half of the story. The Mandoforms Server provides the data processing capabilities required however the form is displayed. Hence Mandoforms provides a complete solution for your data capture and processing needs today, architected to support emerging standards in the future.