IBM Lotus Forms

IBM Lotus Forms is a suite of products by IBM's Lotus Software division that interact to develop and deliver data-driven, XML-based electronic forms (e-forms) to end-users. Lotus Forms originally used Extensible Forms Description Language (XFDL) as the format for its electronic forms, but has gradually shifted to using XForms as that standard has matured.

There are three Lotus Forms products:
* Lotus Forms Server serves e-forms to web browsers and provides a platform to integrate e-forms with other business processes.
* Lotus Forms Designer provides a WYSIWYG environment within Eclipse for designing e-forms.
* Lotus Forms Viewer is a rich client that allows users to interact with e-forms online and offline.

Lotus Forms was originally a product called PureEdge Forms, developed by PureEdge Solutions based in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. IBM bought PureEdge in 2005 and renamed the technology IBM Workplace Forms. [ [http://www.ibm.com/software/swnews/swnews.nsf/n/nhan6h9k99 New IBM Workplace Forms ships with track record of millions served, billions saved] , IBM Press Release, October 18, 2005. Accessed 2007-09-25] In 2007, it was renamed Lotus Forms, starting with version 3.0. [John Boyer, [http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/blogs/page/JohnBoyer?entry=the_forms_products_get_a The Forms Products Get a Promotion] , IBM Lotus Forms blog, IBM developerWorks. Accessed 2007-09-26.]

Previous incarnation of Lotus Forms

In 1994, Lotus Development Corporation introduced Lotus Forms [Gary Hartman, [http://www.classicwebs.com/lotusfrm.htm Review of Lotus Forms Release 1.0 for Windows] , "PC Register", November 1994.] , another tool for creating electronic and printed forms. It has no relation to the current IBM Lotus Forms product.

References

External links

* [http://www.ibm.com/software/lotus/forms/ IBM Lotus Forms home page]
* [http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/blogs/page/JohnBoyer IBM Lotus Forms blog] by John Boyer on IBM developerWorks