2.6 XForms Implementations

A complete list of XForms implementations is maintained by the XForms WG. ^[14] This section covers some of the major implementations at the time of writing to get readers started on XForms. Readers are encouraged to download one or more of these implementations as they work through the material in this book.

^[14] http://www.w3.org/MarkUp/Forms/overview.html#implementations

2.6.1 X-Smiles: An Open Source XML Browser

X-Smiles is an open source XML browser with support for numerous emerging W3C standards. It has full support for XForms 1.0 and provides an excellent example of how modular specifications lead to modular implementations. X-Smiles integrates existing implementations of XML Schema, XPath, and other W3C standards to create a powerful and versatile browser that supports an increasing list of W3C specifications, including:

CSS for creating Web sites in style
XHTML 2.0 for creating clean, easy to maintain Web pages
XForms for creating interactive user experiences
for Exposing XForms' multidevice capabilities
SMIL for creating synchronized multimedia experiences
XFrames for creating frame-based Web sites that really work
SVG support for creating high-quality vector graphics
XSL Flow Objects ^[15] for creating high-quality print representations

^[15] http://www.w3.org/tr/xsl/

By supporting all of these technologies within a well-integrated XML browser, X-Smiles helps Web developers experiment with different combinations of these standards. As an example, X-Smiles permits the use of XForms, SVG, and SMIL within a single Web page for creating rich end-user interaction.

2.6.2 Novell XForms Preview

This is a stand-alone Java client for interacting with XForms applications. It enables Web developers to experiment with XForms in a stand-alone environment. This technology preview comes with numerous examples, including a demonstration of how XForms can be connected to Web Services.

2.6.3 FormsPlayer ”XForms for Internet Explorer

FormsPlayer is a plug-in for Internet Explorer that extends this widely deployed yet legacy Web browser with XForms functionality. It includes numerous examples of how XForms can be integrated within a Web browser to create a rich end-user experience. The FormsPlayer site provides tutorials and other learning materials in addition to the XForms plug-in.

2.6.4 IBM XForms Preview

The IBM XForms technology preview consists of several components designed to encourage experimentation with XForms. It includes the following:

XForms client for Mozilla
XForms client for Internet Explorer
XForms processor for use in conjunction with JSP