Unique XForms form that can ...instance data?

From: tariq abdur-rahim <>
To
Date: 2002-06-29T06:47:46Z
ID: <>
Thread: Unique XForms form that can ...instance data?

Hey all:

Suppose that in a real use case where an (XML-based) application is already designed and deployed in an industrial environment and I want to design a front-end based on XForms forms. This application is based on XML Schema using massively the structural change possibilities on XML instances (e.g. <choice> or minOccurs="0" constructs). This schema cannot be modified, so XForms forms have to be designed to handle the XML instances produced by the application. As the instances could be very different, it's a very difficult exercise to write corresponding forms.

Let me illustrate the problem with an example. Given a schema like this :

  <xs:element name="root">
   <xs:complexType>
      <xs:sequence>
        <xs:element name="optelem" minOccurs="0"/>
        <xs:choice>
         <xs:element name="el1"/>
         <xs:element name="el2"/>
       </xs:choice>
     </xs:sequence>
      <xs:attribute name="optattr" type="xs:integer" use="optional"/>
    </xs:complexType>
</xs:element>

A valid instance could be :

  <i:root optattr="12">
<i:optelem/>
    <i:el1>
      something
    </i:el1>
</i:root>

or could be:

<i:root>

<i:el2/>
</i:root>

or something else very different.

How can I write a unique XForms form that can handle all of these initial instance data? More precisely, how can a form modify the instance data to add or remove optional elements/attributes, or how to simulate these structural changes?

All my attempts to write XForms compliant forms failed, even using 2 models (one with the app instance, the other with a *working* instance).

Regards,

t a r i q a m i n a b d u r - r a h i m
-- XML Application D e v e l o p e r

-- i am what's next!

Do You Yahoo!?
Sign-up for Video Highlights of 2002 FIFA World Cup

← Prev in month ← Prev in thread

Next in thread → Next in month →