Notes

Outline

What’s New in XForms and XHTML 2.0?

Slide 2

Part 1 XForms

A Brief History of Web Forms B.Web: Proprietary; binary formats 1993: HTML forms 1994–2001: Nothing happened Today: XForms

Demonstration: X-Smiles, Novell X-Smiles From University of Helsinki Implements XForms, SVG, SMIL, XHTML, and many other cutting edge standards Novell XForms Xplorer Solid CR XForms support

HTML Forms Limitations Some Assembly Required <input value=“initial value”> “Swiss cheese” processing Primitive (Flat) Data Representation Name=Micah&Title=Chief+XML… Need Script to do anything… Validations Calculations Dynamic Forms

XForms = Interactive Web Services Some Assembly Required <input value=“initial value”> Primitive Data Representation Urlencoded? Ugh. Blending Purpose and Presentation <input type=“radio | checkbox”> etc… No validations, calculations

Form Building Blocks XForms turns the HTML <form> tag inside-out

How It Works            XSLT        XForms

Form Controls XForms turns form controls outside-in

Form Controls Describes intent, not presentation

…on Any Device appearance= “full” | “compact” | “minimal”

Usability

XForms Constraints Static (from Schema) and dynamic Datatypes Relevant Required Readonly Validation Calculation Minimum/maximum occurrences

Binding

Declarative Script Replacement Defines common set of behaviors Direct replacements for scripting <message> replaces alert() <send> replaces form.submit() <setvalue> replaces form.field.value=“string” <setfocus> replaces form.field.focus() <load> replaces document.href=“url” <toggle> implements dynamic show/hide

XForms Action Example <message level=“ephemeral”>Please enter the number…</message> <message level=“modal”>This field is required (Street)</message> <message level=“modeless”>Have you forgotten your password</message>

Data Submission Choice of formats: Application/x-www-form-urlencoded Multipart/form-data Text/xml Choice of transport HTTP GET/POST/PUT Email Filesystem SOAP (Future)

Part 2 XFrames

XFrames: A new document type Main document only identifies frames URL provides content

Benefits Framesets are fully bookmarkable “Back" button works Harder for sites to "framejack“ Modular: can apply to any content Short W3C specifications are welcome!

Future Developments Even Simpler Syntax More Display Options “tabbed” displays More? Only if you contribute.

Halfway: Still With Us? Gratuitous picture of my kid (cute, huh?)

Part 3 HLink

The Trouble with XLink… One linking attribute to rule them all Failed Requirements One link per element Verbosity/Complexity Adoption

Linking Attributes: You Decide HLink provides a means for XML language authors to declare which attributes describe a link

Great Flexibility For example, multiple links from the same element

Other Features onRequestSecondary

Future Developments Making peace with XLink? XLink 1.1? ?

Part 4 XHTML 2.0

Clean-up and Break-down Break off important pieces for sharing XForms for SVG, SMIL, XSL-FO XML Events for SVG, more? XFrames HLink Revisit design decisions of antiquity Linking attributes everywhere Element vs. Attribute decisions Shift emphasis to document structure Reestablish momentum

Structure <section> and <h> elements <line> element

Consistency ‘href’ everywhere <object> (not <img>) everywhere

Simplicity Navigation Lists As if millions of lines of JavaScript cried out in terror... and then suddenly fell silent.

Web of Standards

HTML Roadmap http://www.w3.org/MarkUp/xhtml-roadmap/ XHTML 2.0 Early Working Draft HLink Uncertain Working Draft XFrames Working Draft XML Events (soon?) Candidate Rec. XForms Candidate Rec

Bugzilla Requests to Implement XHTML family members in Mozilla Vote early, vote often! http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=161463 (XHTML2) http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=97806 (XForms) http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=164482 (Events) http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=162479 (XFrames) N/A (HLink)

Making the Transition Sjoerd Visscher’s  XHTML 2 implementation http://w3future.com/weblog/gems/xhtml2.xml Deploy XML data through Web Services RPC-style bad; Document-style good Plain-old XML even better Don’t assume browser-only access Embrace open standards

Try Out XForms More XForms Implementations: X-Smiles http://www.x-smiles.org Novell http://www.novell.com/xforms/ Mozquito http://webaccess.mozquito.com FormsPlayer (IE plugin) http://www.formsplayer.com/ Handwise (Mobile) http://www.handwise.com/Products/XFUI.html Hico http://www.hico.com Authoring Tools http://www.Cardiff.com

For More Information… www-html@w3.org  (subj: “Subscribe”) www-forms@w3.org http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml2/ http://www.w3.org/TR/xforms/ http://www.w3.org/MarkUp/ http://www.xml.com/ http://www.xmlhack.com/ More?