Creating adaptive forms using XML Schema

Adobe recommends using the modern and extensible data capture Core Components for creating new Adaptive Forms or adding Adaptive Forms to AEM Sites pages. These components represent a significant advancement in Adaptive Forms creation, ensuring impressive user experiences. This article describes older approach to author Adaptive Forms using foundation components.

Prerequisites

Authoring an adaptive form using an XML schema as its form model requires basic understanding of XML schemas. Also, it is recommended to read through the following content before this article.

• Creating an adaptive form
• XML schema

Using an XML schema as form model

Experience Manager Forms supports creation of an adaptive form by using an existing XML schema as the form model. This XML schema represents the structure in which data is produced or consumed by the back-end system in your organization.

The key features of using an XML schema are:

• The structure of the XSD is displayed as a tree in the Content Finder tab in the authoring mode for an adaptive form. You can drag and add element from the XSD hierarchy to the adaptive form.
• You can pre-populate the form using XML that is compliant with the associated schema.
• On submission, the data entered by the user is submitted as XML that aligns with the associated schema.

An XML schema consists of simple and complex element types. The elements have attributes that add rules to the element. When these elements and attributes are dragged onto an adaptive form, they are automatically mapped to the corresponding adaptive form component.

This mapping of XML elements with adaptive form components is as follows:

Sample XML Schema

Here’s an example of an XML schema.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
    <xs:schema targetNamespace="https://adobe.com/sample.xsd"
                    xmlns="https://adobe.com/sample.xsd"
                    xmlns:xs="https://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"
                >

        <xs:element name="sample" type="SampleType"/>

        <xs:complexType name="SampleType">
            <xs:sequence>
                <xs:element name="leaderName" type="xs:string" default="Enter Name"/>
                <xs:element name="assignmentStartBirth" type="xs:date"/>
                <xs:element name="gender" type="GenderEnum"/>
                <xs:element name="noOfProjectsAssigned" type="IntType"/>
                <xs:element name="assignmentDetails" type="AssignmentDetails"
                                            minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="10"/>
            </xs:sequence>
        </xs:complexType>

        <xs:complexType name="AssignmentDetails">
            <xs:attribute name="name" type="xs:string" use="required"/>
            <xs:attribute name="durationOfAssignment" type="xs:unsignedInt" use="required"/>
            <xs:attribute name="numberOfMentees" type="xs:unsignedInt" use="required"/>
             <xs:attribute name="descriptionOfAssignment" type="xs:string" use="required"/>
             <xs:attribute name="financeRelatedProject" type="xs:boolean"/>
       </xs:complexType>
  <xs:simpleType name="IntType">
            <xs:restriction base="xs:int">
            </xs:restriction>
        </xs:simpleType>
  <xs:simpleType name="GenderEnum">
            <xs:restriction base="xs:string">
                <xs:enumeration value="Female"/>
                <xs:enumeration value="Male"/>
            </xs:restriction>
        </xs:simpleType>
    </xs:schema>

Adding special properties to fields using XML schema

You can add the following attributes to XML Schema elements to add special properties to the fields of the associated adaptive form.

Limit acceptable values for an adaptive form component

You can add the following restrictions to XML schema elements to limit the values acceptable to an adaptive form component:

Frequently asked questions

How do I know which element in the tree is associated with which XML element?

When you double-click an element in Content Finder, a pop-up window displays a field name and a property called bindRef. This property maps the tree element to the element or attribute in the schema.

The bindRef field shows the association between a tree element and an element or attribute in a schema.

Why I am not able to drag individual elements of a subform (structure generated from any complex type) for repeatable subforms (minOccours or maxOccurs values are greater than 1)?

In a repeatable subform, you must use the Complete subform. If you want only selective fields, use the entire structure and delete the unwanted ones.

I have a long complex structure in Content Finder. How can I find a specific element?

You have two options:

• Scroll through the tree structure
• Use the Search box to find an element

What is a bindRef?

A bindRef is the connection between an adaptive form component and a schema element or attribute. It dictates the XPath where the value captured from this component or field is available in the output XML. A bindRefis also used when prepopulating a field value from prefilled (prepopulated) XML.

Business.Adobe.com resources

Auto Text Summarization Automated Onboarding Auto Form Fill Content Intelligence Document Generation Content Management