Web Application Design Handbook

CHAPTER 3

Data Input: Forms

The data-input section of a web application lets users enter, save, delete, and modify data in databases. The databases are generally managed at corporate locations on servers; input, however, can be done from anywhere, including handheld computers.

Although there are two ways to put data into databases—manual input and data feeds—this chapter concentrates on manual input. Data feeds have minimal user interfaces that contain only three commands: start the job; interrupt the job; and check error and completion messages.

Note that data-input systems do not use, save, or open files (except for an occasional settings file), so they don’t include File Save, File Open, File Print, or other such options. Instead, the applications ...