XML Forms Generator

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Update: December 5, 2007

Overview:

What is the XML Forms Generator?

This standards-based, data-driven Eclipse plug-in generates forms that adhere to the XForms 1.0 standard, using as a starting point either Web Service Description Language (WSDL) documents or XML instance documents having optional XML Schema backing models. The generated forms adhere to the XHTML and XForms 1.0 standards and can be viewed in popular XHTML and XForms renderers.

When generating forms from an XML instance document, the XML Forms Generator has access to the XML Schema specifications of the data domain to which the XML instance document belongs. Thus, for each data item in the instance document, the Generator automatically creates the appropriate form constructs. Those constructs include type constraints, length constraints, control types (drop-down list, text input, range), and iterative structures.

The XML Forms Generator can also generate XHTML/XForms documents from WSDL source documents. Tools are also included for the generation and testing of JSP (Java™ Server Page) response templates.

The XML Forms Generator is integrated into the Eclipse workbench, and in many cases it can generate valid, working forms with only a couple of mouse clicks.

A set of animated demonstrations of the XML Forms Generator, as well as extensive documentation, is included; it is integrated into the Eclipse Help system.

The XML Forms Generator runs on Windows® and Linux® (see the Requirements section for details).

How does it work?

XML schemas associated with XML instances provide the metadata required for the detection and generation of varying constructs, such as type constraints, length constraints, control types (drop-down list, text input, range), and iterative structures over array types.

When an instance XML document is used as the starting point for form generation, its corresponding XML Schema provides that metadata, but the instance itself determines the elements and attributes for which entry fields will be generated. Therefore, the XML instance document acts as a template, permitting a data-driven approach to form generation. With the XML Forms Generator's data-driven approach, the output generated by just a few mouse clicks is a functioning form that is ready for deployment.

When a WSDL document is used as the starting point for form generation, its properties (operations, message parts, type definitions, etc.) are analyzed; the WSDL document itself makes use of an EMF model of WSDL and XML Schema. This analysis then allows for the creation of a prototypical XML instance document that in turn ("under the covers") drives the generation of a functioning form that is ready for deployment.

The output of the XML Forms Generator conforms to the XHTML and XForms 1.0 standards. The generated forms therefore can immediately be rendered in popular XForms-capable renderers and customized in existing editors meant to work with documents adhering to those standards.

What's new in the recent update?

The December 3, 2007, update contains several enhancements:

• support for Eclipse 3.3
• support for Eclipse Web Tools 2.0.1 (WTP)
• performance improvements when generating XFORMS from XML/WSDL sources that reference XML schemas (replaces EMF model with Xerces PSVI for schema parsing)
• ability to create XForms binds from schema type information
• ability to hide Delete button for repeat structures when there is one or fewer rows of a repeated section
• fix for PrefixResolver problem with IBM®/Sun Java Development Kit (JDK)
• miscellaneous fixes and improvements.