RE: XForms Usefulness

Yes, XFE 1.0 from e-XMLMedia uses Java (JDK 1.2) running in IE (5.0) to
accomplish this.

Cheers,

-Jim Dorey

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Justin MacCarthy [mailto:macarthy@iol.ie] 
Sent: Friday, August 23, 2002 2:44 AM
To: www-forms@w3.org
Cc: xforms@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: XForms Usefulness

 

Just to add to this Mozilla has slatted XFORM support in version 1.2 As
for IE, one thing that always has annoyed me is the complete lack of a
roadmap for future enhancements.And of course IE on the Mac is another
issue. Of course it would perfectly possible to create
axtiveX/Applet/flash that can render the Xform in the client.

 

 

Justin 

	----- 

	 Original Message-----
	From: www-forms-request@w3.org
[mailto:www-forms-request@w3.org]On Behalf Of AndrewWatt2001@aol.com
	Sent: Friday, August 23, 2002 9:29 AM
	To: bob@objfac.com; www-forms@w3.org
	Cc: xforms@yahoogroups.com
	Subject: Re: XForms Usefulness

	In a message dated 23/08/2002 08:49:18 GMT Daylight Time,
bob@objfac.com writes:
	
	
	
	

	Recently, someone on this list asked another why they would want
to use XSLT
	to translate xforms to xhtml.

	
	
	Since it was I who asked the question I guess I get to put in my
£0.02. :)
	
	I found the question astonishing (how else
	
	

	
	could you use xforms?) but have just gotten around to
commenting.

	
	
	I am sure that other list members will chime in but it is
already possible to use XForms (although possibly not the August 2002 WD
yet) using, for example, the X-Smiles browser - see
http://www.x-smiles.org for further information.
	
	You will find information on other XForms implementations which
are in development at http://www.w3.org/MarkUp/Forms/#implementations
	
	
	

	
	It seems obvious that xforms is not very useful (and won't be)
until it is
	supported by the major browsers - the place where real users
fill out forms.

	
	
	This is pretty much a circular argument. If a spec isn't
finished then the "major" browsers likely won't implement it ... at that
precise point in time. Why would they? ... Think back. For example
Microsoft got its fingers burned by implementing a WD "XSL" which was
then overtaken by XSLT. In MSXML3 Microsoft began the process of phasing
out  Microsoft XSL by allowing their flavour to be run side by side with
real XSTL. In MSXML4, as I understand it, only real XSLT is supported.
	
	
	

	
	I haven't seen any obvious participation on this list by major
browser
	suppliers. Makes me wonder if xforms will be the next xlink.

	
	
	I would be very surprised if they aren't lurking quietly on
list. :) I wouldn't necessarily expect them to show their hands publicly
until they want to make a version/product announcement.
	
	The number of implementations already existing for XForms puts
it ahead of XLink's implementation status by some margin, although
XForms is (obviously) not yet a full W3C Recommendation.
	
	Secondly, I think you also need to consider the possible use of
XForms in non-Web-browser situations. XForms implementations could be
applied appropriately in Intranet (does anyone still use that word?)
situations where data is stored in XML.  Data entry in XForms could be
very useful. The network across which data is passed need not be the
global one.
	
	XForms are intended for use not only on desktop browsers. I am
not sure if the 3GPP is planning to support/require XForms but they have
already indicated support for SVG Tiny, for example, so XForms support
*may* be in the pipeline. Anyone know?
	
	
	

	
	(Sorry to be negative, but serious question.)
	
	Bob

	
	
	I am responding to your question as if it is a serious question.
	
	I think there are dimensions to this which your question maybe
didn't consider.
	
	Regards
	
	Andrew Watt