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

Chapter 3. Approaches to integrating Workplace Forms 33

3.2.3 Straight-through integration

Straight-through integration refers of the ability of Workplace Forms to produce XML schema

compliant data instances without the need for translation — the compliant data instance, or

instances, reside within the form.

The usefulness of Workplace Forms’ straight-through integration functionality is enhanced by

the ability to integrate data to multiple, disparate systems without requiring any translation.

Furthermore, data can be presented in different ways to each system! For example, if an

employee number must be 8 digits for a green-screen legacy system, and is expected to be

16 digits for a complementary, modern HR system, a single form can contain two different

data instances, and populate the data elements within it in different ways, as needed by each

system. Once again, no translation is required.

Lastly, you will notice in both of the previous two figures, digital signatures can be applied to

each aspect of the form, ensuring that the forms are tamper-proof, or, at a minimum

“tamper-evident”.

3.3 Aspects of integrating Workplace Forms

Now that we have covered the basic structure of Workplace Forms, let us drill-down and

examine each of the different types on integration in more depth.

3.3.1 User Interface (UI) Integration

In this section we begin our discussion of integration.

Display of Workplace Forms within a Web Page

We start by illustrating the most straightforward type of integration, namely, a form rendered

within the context of a Web page. Figure 3-4 is an example of a pixel-precise traditional form

page, suitable for printing.

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

Figure 3-4 Workplace Forms Viewer displaying a form within the Web browser

Display of forms to end users within a Web application context is perhaps the most common

and basic form of User Interface (UI) integration. In Figure 3-4, the Workplace Forms Viewer

is running within the browser as a plug-in. Users typically navigate to forms by following links

within a company Internet or intranet site. Alternately, HTTP links to Workplace Forms can be

provided to users via e-mail, although this involves application-tier integration with an e-mail

system or daemon.

Chapter 3. Approaches to integrating Workplace Forms 35

Figure 3-5 illustrates an example of an interview-style, Wizard form page.

Figure 3-5 The Workplace Forms Viewer displaying another form page within a Web browser

Workplace Forms are 100% XML, and have a mime-type of:

application/vnd.xfdl

For file extensions:

.xfd and .xfdl

Once you set the return mime-type, when you return a Workplace Form, the browser will

recognize and launch the Workplace Forms Viewer within the browser as a plug-in.

It is important to note that when creating forms applications, standard Web application design

considerations apply.

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

Display of Workplace Forms within a portal page

Figure 3-6 shows a Workplace Forms Viewer displaying a mortgage pre-approval form within

a Portlet.

Figure 3-6 The Workplace Forms Viewer displaying a mortgage pre-approval form within a Portlet

Figure 3-6 illustrates an example of how Workplace Forms can be displayed within a Portal

application. When delivered via Portlets, Workplace Forms can be used as elements of

composite Portal applications. Inter-Portlet communication provides us with a convenient

avenue for data-integration, such as form template prepopulation. As an example, one might

compose a UI with a client-list JSP on the left side of the UI, and an eForm Portlet on the

right. Selection of a client within the client-list JSP could be used to prepopulate a form

template to the right.

Zero Footprint display of Workplace Forms

In certain situations, it may not be possible or desirable to install the Workplace Forms Viewer

onto each user’s computer. Typically, this situation results from:

򐂰 Desktop “lockdown” — users not having sufficient privileges to install the application

򐂰 Infrequent form users who do not wish to install another program

򐂰 Dial-up or low-bandwidth users who cannot download the Workplace Forms Viewer in a

timely manner

򐂰 Version management / upgrade concerns

򐂰 Software licensing considerations