IBM Lotus Forms
Encyclopedia
IBM Forms is a suite of products by IBM
's Lotus Software
division that interact to develop and deliver data-driven, XML-based electronic forms (e-forms) to end-users. IBM Forms consists of a server, designer, and client viewer that enable creation, deployment, and streamlining of forms-based processes. IBM Forms originally used Extensible Forms Description Language
(XFDL) as the format for its electronic forms, and it has gradually added XForms
to XFDL as that standard has matured.
With IBM Forms, organizations can use electronic forms to gather information from users and transmit that information to other systems. IBM Forms can be used as the front-end for business processes such as opening a new account. When a customer enters their information into a form and submits it for processing, their information could pass into a workflow application (such as FileNet
or WebSphere Business Integration), a database (such as DB2 Universal Database or DB2 Content Manager), or any other type of application or process.
There are four IBM Forms products:
, Canada
. IBM bought PureEdge in 2005 and renamed the technology IBM Workplace Forms. In 2007, it was renamed Lotus Forms, starting with version 3.0. In 2010, it was rebranded IBM Forms, starting with version 4.0..
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
's Lotus Software
Lotus Software
Lotus Software is a software company with headquarters in Westford, Massachusetts...
division that interact to develop and deliver data-driven, XML-based electronic forms (e-forms) to end-users. IBM Forms consists of a server, designer, and client viewer that enable creation, deployment, and streamlining of forms-based processes. IBM Forms originally used Extensible Forms Description Language
Extensible Forms Description Language
Extensible Forms Description Language is a class of the Extensible Markup Language originally specified in World Wide Web Consortium 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,...
(XFDL) as the format for its electronic forms, and it has gradually added XForms
XForms
XForms is an XML format for the specification of a data processing model for XML data and user interface for the XML data, such as web forms...
to XFDL as that standard has matured.
With IBM Forms, organizations can use electronic forms to gather information from users and transmit that information to other systems. IBM Forms can be used as the front-end for business processes such as opening a new account. When a customer enters their information into a form and submits it for processing, their information could pass into a workflow application (such as FileNet
FileNet
FileNet, a company acquired by IBM, developed software to help enterprises manage their content and business processes. The FileNet P8 platform, their flagship system, is a framework for developing custom enterprise systems, offering much functionality out of the box and capable of being customized...
or WebSphere Business Integration), a database (such as DB2 Universal Database or DB2 Content Manager), or any other type of application or process.
There are four IBM Forms products:
- IBM Forms Server serves e-forms to web browsers and provides an API and platform to integrate e-forms with other business processes.
- IBM Forms Designer provides a WYSIWYGWYSIWYGWYSIWYG is an acronym for What You See Is What You Get. The term is used in computing to describe a system in which content displayed onscreen during editing appears in a form closely corresponding to its appearance when printed or displayed as a finished product...
environment within EclipseEclipse (software)Eclipse is a multi-language software development environment comprising an integrated development environment and an extensible plug-in system...
for designing e-forms. - IBM Forms Viewer is a rich client that allows users to interact with e-forms online and offline.
- IBM Forms Turbo allows users to create, deploy, fill and perform basic reports on eForms using a Web browser.
History of IBM Forms
IBM Forms was originally a product called PureEdge Forms, developed by PureEdge Solutions based in Victoria, British ColumbiaVictoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. IBM bought PureEdge in 2005 and renamed the technology IBM Workplace Forms. In 2007, it was renamed Lotus Forms, starting with version 3.0. In 2010, it was rebranded IBM Forms, starting with version 4.0..
Previous incarnation of Lotus Forms
In 1994, Lotus Development Corporation introduced Lotus Forms, another tool for creating electronic and printed forms. It has no relation to the current IBM Forms product.Industry Standards
From 1993 to 1998, PureEdge (since acquired by IBM) developed the Universal Forms Description Language (UFDL). XFDL is the result of developing an XML syntax for the UFDL, thereby permitting the expression of forms in a syntax that promotes application interoperability and adherence to worldwide Internet standards. The original version of XFDL was published as a W3C Note in 1998. A number of features of XFDL have since been incorporated into a W3C Recommendation called XForms between 2003 and 2009 .External links
- IBM Forms home page
- IBM Forms blog by John Boyer on IBM developerWorks