Extensible Forms Description Language
Encyclopedia
Extensible Forms Description Language (XFDL) is a class of the Extensible Markup Language (XML)
originally specified in World Wide Web Consortium
(W3C) Note . See Specifications below for links to the current versions of XFDL. XFDL is a high-level computer language that facilitates defining a form as a single, stand-alone object using XML elements and attributes. It offers precise control over form layout, permitting replacement of existing business/government forms with electronic documents in a human-readable, open standard
.
In addition to precision layout control, XFDL provides multiple page capabilities, step-by-step guided user experiences, and digital signature
s. XFDL also provides a syntax for in-line mathematical and conditional expressions and data validation constraints as well as custom items, options, and external code functions. Current versions of XFDL (see Specifications below) are capable of providing these interactive features via open standard markup languages including XForms, XPath, XML Schema and XML Signatures.
XFDL not only supports multiple digital signatures, but the signatures can apply to specific sections of a form and prevent changes to signed content.
These advantages to XFDL have led large organizations such as the United States Army
and Air Force
to migrate to XFDL from forms in other formats.
XML
Extensible Markup Language is a set of rules for encoding documents in machine-readable form. It is defined in the XML 1.0 Specification produced by the W3C, and several other related specifications, all gratis open standards....
originally specified in World Wide Web Consortium
World Wide Web Consortium
The World Wide Web Consortium is the main international standards organization for the World Wide Web .Founded and headed by Tim Berners-Lee, the consortium is made up of member organizations which maintain full-time staff for the purpose of working together in the development of standards for the...
(W3C) Note . See Specifications below for links to the current versions of XFDL. XFDL is a high-level computer language that facilitates defining a form as a single, stand-alone object using XML elements and attributes. It offers precise control over form layout, permitting replacement of existing business/government forms with electronic documents in a human-readable, open standard
Open standard
An open standard is a standard that is publicly available and has various rights to use associated with it, and may also have various properties of how it was designed . There is no single definition and interpretations vary with usage....
.
In addition to precision layout control, XFDL provides multiple page capabilities, step-by-step guided user experiences, and digital signature
Digital signature
A digital signature or digital signature scheme is a mathematical scheme for demonstrating the authenticity of a digital message or document. A valid digital signature gives a recipient reason to believe that the message was created by a known sender, and that it was not altered in transit...
s. XFDL also provides a syntax for in-line mathematical and conditional expressions and data validation constraints as well as custom items, options, and external code functions. Current versions of XFDL (see Specifications below) are capable of providing these interactive features via open standard markup languages including XForms, XPath, XML Schema and XML Signatures.
XFDL not only supports multiple digital signatures, but the signatures can apply to specific sections of a form and prevent changes to signed content.
These advantages to XFDL have led large organizations such as the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
to migrate to XFDL from forms in other formats.
External links
- Extensible Markup Language (XML) 1.0 (Fifth Edition), W3C Recommendation, 26 NOV 2008.
- XML Coverpages
- Boyer, John: "XFDL: The Extensible Forms Description Language - An XML-based forms language for e-commerce." July 22, 2001.
- United States Army Publishing Directorate
- USAF webpage with public downloadable XFDL reader: see "items of interest" link on right side of page for viewer download.
- See also XML Paper Specification (XPSXML Paper SpecificationOpen XML Paper Specification , is an open specification for a page description language and a fixed-document format originally developed by Microsoft as XML Paper Specification that was later standardized by Ecma International as international standard ECMA-388...
)
Specifications
- Extensible Forms Description Language (XFDL) 8.0
- Extensible Forms Description Language (XFDL) 7.7
- Extensible Forms Description Language (XFDL) 4.0
Editors
- IBM FormsIBM Lotus FormsIBM Forms is a suite of products by IBM's Lotus Software division that interact to develop and deliver data-driven, XML-based electronic forms to end-users. IBM Forms consists of a server, designer, and client viewer that enable creation, deployment, and streamlining of forms-based processes...
Designer - See XML editorXML editorAn XML editor is a markup language editor with added functionality to facilitate the editing of XML. This can be done using a plain text editor, with all the code visible, but XML editors have added facilities like tag completion and menus and buttons for tasks that are common in XML editing, based...
for XML editors and other editing tools.