RE: Standards

Randy,
 
XForms' primary goal is to enhance the functionality of today's user of HTML
forms on the web. This means that it's primary target is the "fill"
experience. In the requirements document we list as future goals things like
Digital Signatures and Paper enhancements. Both XFDL and XFA contain
functionality that is not going to be in XForms for some time, if ever. As
such, you won't get the "normalized XML Form Standard" that you are looking
for from XForms, but you will get an ever richer experience with web forms.
The XForms functionality may grow over time to encompass all the things
listed on the web page and more, but not in the initial version. All the
other Forms technologies will interoperate in various ways with XForms.
 
As far as digital signatures goes, that won't be in version 1.0, but I
expect it will be a high priority in the subsequent version. Digital
Signatures will be based on the W3C Dsig's work which includes forms
vendors, PKI vendors and biometric technology vendors. 

Does this answer your questions?
 
Rob


-----Original Message-----
From: Scott, Randall [mailto:scottrc@hqlee.deca.mil]
Sent: May 9, 2000 2:19 PM
To: XForms (E-mail)
Subject: Standards


Maybe some dumb questions, but being new to this forum I would like to know
if XForms will be trying to normalize the standards embodied in XFDL (from
PureEdge) and XFA from (from JetForms) [and any other XML Forms standards]
submitted to W3C for consideration, endorsement, and/or approval? My
particular interests are: 
 
  1. Will we get to a normalized XML Form Standard (is that a desire of
XForms), and 
  2. If so, will the XForms XML Form Standard pursue open-ended Digital
Signature and Biometric technology standards [hopefully non-proprietary
standards], that shows plausible possibilities of achieving or assisting in
persistent legal binding paperwork elimination and e-Commerce.
 
Any help out there on these?
 

Randy
Randall Scott
Defense Commissary Agency