RE: Argumentation needed - IHE intends to drop XForms in favor of HTML5

Hi,

I'm not an author of the spec, but here's my take:

XHTML is fine as a recommendation for what web-based systems should output. It is problematic, however, as a source format for form interchange:

- Due to reliance on scripting, a form authored in one tool cannot be understood by another tool except on the most basic level (on the other hand, I have no experience of compatibility between XForms tools)
- Due to the complexity of the spec, a fully compatible form player cannot be implemented in embedded systems less capable than current smartphones, whereas XForms minimum requirements are an order of magnitude smaller (e.g. Java-based dumbphone implementations exist, and native implementations could be used on even less capable devices)

Additionally, if IHE is really going to specify HTML5 as the requirement (rather than just XHTML), one has to question the choice to standardize on a spec that is not finished yet (might reach candidate recommendation status next year, might not), and for which there are no even close to complete implementations, even for the forms part (see implementation status notes in left margin at http://www.whatwg.org/specs/web-apps/current-work/#forms).

That being said, would it be feasible for your client to use XForms only internally and transcode the XForms into XHTML for interoperability purposes (possibly by using EMC Documentum XForms or XSLTForms)?

BR,
     --Oskari

-----Original Message-----
From: www-forms-request@w3.org [mailto:www-forms-request@w3.org] On Behalf Of ext Joern Turner
Sent: 30 May, 2011 16:56
To: www-forms@w3.org
Subject: Argumentation needed - IHE intends to drop XForms in favor of HTML5

Sorry - i missed to give my previous mail a meaningful subject

I repeat my message here hoping the WG will respond to that.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
i received a call for help from a client being in eHealth: the IHE (Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise) - http://www.ihe.net/  which develops standards in healthcare is about to remove XForms from their technical framework recommendations. This is the original text i
received:

"With the use of XHTML forms, and with HTML 5 the replaising XHTML 2.0 (which was supposed to incorporate XForms, thus providing wide support for the technology)  as the next version of HTML, there are practically no implementations of XForms. Leaving XHTML forms as the only option will signifficantly improve interoperability."

I would be happy if the Working Group would step in and help to argue against this as this means that XForms  must not be used any more in IHE-related projects. This is a real catastrophe for the client and he asked for all the help possible to influence the IHE. I already tried to write something down but i feel that it would be helpful to get a statement from the authors of the spec.

Thanks,

Joern Turner

Received on Tuesday, 31 May 2011 10:51:54 UTC