IBM Workplace Forms: Guide to Building and Integrating a Sample Workplace Forms Application

274 IBM Workplace Forms: Guide to Building and Integrating a Sample Workplace Forms Application

9.1 Introduction to integration of Domino and Workplace Forms

Before proceeding directly into the technical details of this integration scenario, we provide a

brief overview of the Domino Server and examine how each technology (namely, the Domino

Server and Workplace Forms) can complement each other in the integration scenario.

IBM Lotus Domino server provides enterprise-grade collaboration capabilities that can be

deployed as a core e-mail and enterprise scheduling infrastructure (IBM Lotus Domino

Messaging Server), as a custom application platform (IBM Lotus Domino Utility Server), or

both (IBM Lotus Domino Enterprise Server). An integral part of the IBM Workplace family,

Lotus Domino server and its client software options deliver a reliable, security-rich messaging

and collaboration environment that helps companies enhance the productivity of people,

streamline business processes, and improve overall business responsiveness.

Besides messaging, calendaring, and scheduling, Domino integrates document

management, workflow, collaboration, and database capabilities in one comprehensive

product. It can handle both structured information and unstructured information as file

attachments, and it adheres to Internet standards and protocols such as HTTP, XML, POP3,

IMAP4, MIME, SMTP, DIIOP, and more. It can execute Java, JavaScript, LotusScript, and

Notes @Formula language.

9.1.1 How can the two technologies complement each other?

Domino provides a great starting point to integrate with forms. We can use:

򐂰 File storage capabilities to store templates and filled forms

򐂰 Java to access Workplace Forms API

򐂰 Built-in HTTP service and servlet engine to communicate with a browser client

򐂰 Integrated development environment to build the application

How can Domino add value to Workplace Forms?

Domino can handle XFDL file attachments or mime types and store and exchange them with

other systems in multiple ways (mail, Web services, connections to external data sources,

access to file system, etc.) and access the content in XFDL files by Java API, built-in XML

parsers, and text processing capabilities. This makes it easy to build an application handling

forms, storing them with high sophisticated access rights to stored forms and extracted data,

and attach collaboration and workflow to form and data handling.

How can Workplace Forms add value to Domino?

In Domino we can create forms with a visual editor (Domino Designer) for a fat client (Notes)

or thin client (browser) as well. In a fat client, we can assign nested signatures. What makes it

reasonable to use Workplace Forms having those built in capabilities?

Using Forms, we can exchange the templates and completed forms with other systems,

including the layout, signatures, and internal processing rules of the form. A Domino

Document can exchange only its values with other systems, not the processing logic, the

layout, or signatures. Furthermore, with Workplace Forms we can integrate with mutual

signature methods from authenticated password acceptance to biometric (retinal scans,

fingerprint readers) and PKI certificates. And last but not least — we can print out the

document in a pixel precise manner.