IBM Forms V8.0
Forms Experience Builder Overview
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IBM Forms Experience Builder
Introduction Forms Experience Portlet for WebSphere Portal Forms as Part of an Overall Web Experience IBM Forms Solutions When to use Forms Experience Builder Production Installation Options Forms Experience Builder Architecture Access data via REST API Forms Experience Builder Services Architecture Applications as a Service Agile Routing Secure Data Management Access and Stages Starter Packs! Where to Find Information
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IBM Forms Experience Builder
Delivering exceptional web experiences that simplifies data collection, improves social interactions, solves business problems, and reduces total cost of ownership for customer or workforce engagements.
✔ Complete data collection solution for web applications
✔ Engaging experiences for customers and intranet users
✔ Personalized online experience by audience or role✔ Dynamic interactions with custom display &
routing rules✔ Easy-to-use web design & deployment framework ✔ Secure management of collected data✔ Scalable performance
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Dynamic ExperienceComprehensive set of data capture items, formulas and rules work seamlessly to increase productivity.
Drive customer satisfaction and employee productivity through engaging interfaces.
Rich user interface— Create engaging & personalized layouts— Deepen relationships with dynamic
content— Smart interactions using formulas— Customization with JavaScript & CSS
Improve customer engagements — Increase forms completion %— Improve click through %
Intuitive self-service experience — Guided interactions with show & hide logic— Role-based views and actions— Responsive content using rules
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IBM Forms Experience Builder
Delivers an engaging, agile, client experience for data collection interactions in social business and collaboration solutions.
Dynamic Experience
Simple Creation
Comprehensive set of data capture items, formulas and rules increases productivity.
Easy-to-use web design tooling delivers powerful fill and submit experiences.
Agile Routing
Role-based access control and adaptable processes automate user notifications and approvals.
Flexible Integration
ExceptionalWeb Experience
IntranetExperiences
CustomerExperiences
Key Features
Service Oriented
Simple interface enhances user interactions with data from external sources and services.
Secure Data Mgmt Built in tools control access to captured data
while on the web.
Rapid deployment process enables forms to be placed into production quickly.
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Simple Creation
Easy-to-use web based design tooling delivers powerful fill and submit experiences. ● Complete tooling
Full set of web data capture items Flexible layout using grids & sections Graphical rules & formula editor Routing editor
● Rapid development Preassembled items with default values Automatic binding to data records Apply advance features quickly
● Familiar techniques Drag & drop design experience
Easy discovery of item properties
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Flexible IntegrationRapid deployment process enables forms to be placed into production fast, embedded with other web applications or run stand-alone. Versatile
— Embed links in existing web applications — Embed in Portal applications— Embed in servlet applications
Cost effective— Easy integration with Web/REST services— Service based access to databases or
content storage systems
Expand your reach— Deploy forms in front or behind the firewall— Enclose links in emails, social sites or
mobile applications
Extend, streamline and automate business processes or social engagements
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Forms Experience Portlet for WebSphere PortalA single out-of-the-box portlet can render any number of Forms Experience Builder solutions within a portal application.
● Specify an active form URL for display in a portlet.
● Edit forms directly in a portlet and automatically redeploy.
● Ready-made portlet for displaying forms. No programming is required.
● Supports JSR-286 eventing (open, data in & out, and submit).
● Configuration leverages Portal profiles.● Works with Portal’s Web analytics
aggregation.
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Forms as part of an overall web experience
Portal profile drives personalization of the form
Selection in the form drives content elsewhere in portal
The form takes on portal's look and feel
Dynamic experience based on decisions made in the form
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Different types of forms applications
Is it just about Data?
Is the Document and Data important?
Forms
A dynamicweb experience
for collecting information and engaging a user
in a process
Agile web experiences for
data centric application
eForms for document centric
applications
Agile web experiences for data collection
Capture InspectionOrder
Request
Survey
Enroll
Schedule
Select
eForms for document centric applications
ClaimConsent
Contract
Application
AgreementRegistration
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IBM Forms documents and web experiences complement each other by providing the entire spectrum of e-forms solutions.
Data-centric Web Solutions
IBM Forms Experience Builder
Interactive, dynamic UI steps user through the entire transaction Records are data-centric rather than document centric On-the-web Design and Deployment of whole data collection solutions High volume throughput Supports custom CSS
Hybrid Web Solutions
IBM Forms Documents+Web
Experiences Interactive UI of web experience drives data collection for document style form Combines ease-of-use of web experience with enterprise features of forms documents
Document-centric Web Solutions
“Like paper” forms for the web Dynamic behaviors can be added to provide “interactive paper” forms Allows end-to-end XML solutions Can be digitally signed Can be saved locally Can be archived to content manager as document of record for auditability
IBM Forms Documents
IBM Forms Solutions
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Expanding the capabilities of IBM Forms
IBM Forms solutions complement each other to cover the entire spectrum of e-forms solutions for social business.
Data-centricSolutions
Forms Experience Builder Server, Viewer & Designer
Document-centricSolutions
IBM Forms 8.0Suite
✔ Engaging user experiences✔ Web-based tooling ✔ Records are data-centric ✔ High volume throughput
Delivering CompleteWeb Solutions
✔ “Like paper” forms for the web ✔ Intelligent documents ✔ End-to-end XML solutions✔ Digitally signed records
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When to use Forms Experience Builder System is data-centric:
— You need to just capture the data - not concerned with the form, logic, or the document that was used to capture the data.
Existing SOA is REST based.— Forms Experience Builder comes with an HTTP Transport that can easily consume REST based
services. Expected heavy concurrent user load
— Forms Experience Builder is much better at handling high transaction volumes.— High concurrency has little to no extra demand on server.
Short lived or ad-hoc application needs— Need quick survey, or quick approval for a limited time.— Heavy need to leverage web based technologies — like JavaScript and CSS— existing skill-sets can be leveraged.
Need easy access to all captured data— Forms Experience Builder can easily export all captured data to XML, XLS, or Symphony.— Provides OOTB view into captured data, allowing filtering and searching.
Need to allow business users to build their own Forms without involving IT— Forms Experience Builder allow business level users to build and maintain their own
applications without having to involve or depend on IT.
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Product Installation Options Simple Dev / POC Install
— Installer deploys WASCE and everything else needed to have quickly running version of Forms Experience Builder
— Uses Derby Database – not recommended for production systems— 5-10 minutes
Production Install – Websphere Application Server— Database must be created— Table Spaces must be created— Installer provides artifacts (feb.ear) and manual deployment of EAR is
required.— Other manual WAS config steps are required (datasources, etc)— 1-2 hours
http://www-10.lotus.com/ldd/lfwiki.nsf/dx/Installing_IBM_Forms_Experience_Builder_FEB_8
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Forms Experience Builder ArchitectureReduces the gap between end-user development and IT administration to get solutions deployed quickly.
Create
Deploy
Run
REST
REST Output
(HTML, JS, Tables)
Source(XML, CSS)
Forms Experience Builder Server
Data
ExportImport
ServiceInterfac
e
Form
Manager
Responses
Form
Stages
Settings
● Collaborative framework LOB User: Look & feel, routing, privileges, logic IT staff: ACL, SOA services & plugins Others: CSS, JavaScript, data tables Export/Import with source control
● Proven methods Packaged as an EAR Security provided by J2EE container Database connection via data source
● Extensible REST interfaces (others work with) Services interface (works with others) Data feed API for captured data
● Scalable Client-side web processing 100% stateless server-side
Generator
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Forms Experience Builder Deployment Architecture
WebSphere Application Server
DB2 LDAP SMTP
WebSphere Portal
WebSphere Application Server
DB2 or other
Can be the same instance of WAS as Portal
Needs DB2 for storing applications and data
Experience Builder includes entitlements to WAS ND and DB2
Can use any directory defined to WAS
Can use any mail provider defined to WAS
Experience Builder Portlet
Experience Builder
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Essentially the data for a given FEB application is stored in a single database table.— Each record in this table corresponds to a form submission or form instance— Table structure is very similar to what you see in View Responses— Some exceptions are forms with attachments and forms with tables in them
Forms Experience Builder ArchitectureInternal Database Structure
DB2
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WAS
FEB.ear
Forms Experience Builder ArchitectureAccess data via REST API
DB2Data
Access REST API
OtherSystem
Recommended way to programmatically access FEB data – Access control is enforcedon internal DB2 table structures.
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Forms Experience Builder Services Architecture
WebSphere Application Server
Experience Builder
Service Definitions
Every Experience Builder application is exposed as services
- Retrieve- Search- Delete- Submit
Definitions can be created for any REST or Web Service including:GeneralExperience
Builder - SAP- Oracle- DB Systems- many others
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Service OrientedSimple interface makes it easy to enrich user interactions with data from external sources and services.
Conduct business more effectively, and adapt to changing data needs.
● Flexible linkage Data-driven experiences filled with user or
product information Easy to link form items to service data in any
direction Use data from other data capture solutions
● Cost effective Reuse existing services & data repositories Automatic generation of web content Seamless interoperability between systems
● Adapt to changes Dynamically discover services Real-time linkage of form items
with data
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Applications as a Service Every Form in every Forms Experience Builder Application is automatically
exposed as a set of services consumable by any application.— Create
● Inserts a new record— Search
● Pass in search criteria, and get list of records that match.— Update— Delete— Retrieve
● Get data for a particular record Services are auto-generated, and access rules are still enforced. Utilizes the Data Access REST API
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Configuring a Service
Map the Inputs to the service — Specify what data is being passed
from the form to the service— Mapping done before service call is
made. Select item from the Form Select parameter in Service Click Assign button Adds entry to Assigned Inputs list.
— Repeat
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Where can you call a Service?
On form load – for pre-population
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Where can you call a Service?
On item level events
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Where can you call a Service?
On Submit or Stage Action Buttons
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Agile RoutingRole-based access control and adaptable business processes automate user notifications and approvals.
Automate your form management processes, enabling you to save time and money.
● Customized interactions Guided data capture experience User-specific access to form items Personalized submission actions
● Dynamic experience Content show & hide based on role Automatic generation of email notifications Invoke services at routing steps Flexible routing using rules
● Quick setup Easy to automate routing process Simple role & user security assignments
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Secure Data ManagementBuilt in data management tools control access to captured data for detailed analysis and exporting to 3rd party reporting systems.
● Quick access Find data by searching or filtering
records View captured data by form template See routing activity as it happens Print individual records
● Permission based Only see records that one is allowed to
see Continue working with saved
applications Export records to generate detailed
reports Compete assigned tasks Quickly obtain critical business information
with “point and click” ease in a secure way.
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Access and Stages Each Form within an IBM Forms Experience Builder Application can go through many “Stages” Each Form contains a 'Start' Stage and an 'End' Stage. Each Stage specifies what items in the form are visible and / or read-only when the Form is in that
Stage. Each Stage has its own set of 'stage transition' buttons that each specify what stage the Form
should go to next when clicked.— For example: an Approve button might send the form into a different Stage than a Reject button would.
These stage transition buttons can carry out normal submit like actions— Email, Call a Service, Assign Users.
These buttons can also hide and show based on Rules – this is the way FEB provides conditional workflow
Generally, the Access tab is where (for each Stage) you define what users have access to the Form when its in that Stage:
Each Application can specify many Roles● Like 'manager', or 'approver', or 'budget reviewer'
Roles are then assigned access permissions to a Form at a given Stage● Like 'approver's are allowed right access to the form when its in the 'Needs Approval' Stage, but only
allowed read access otherwise.— Individual users or groups can be added to a Role.
● Users belong to Roles, Roles are used to determine permissions for a Form at a given Stage. Access tab is also where you specify what Roles (ie users) have design / edit permissions for the
application itself.
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Access and Stages
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
not visible
not visible
read-only
not visible
read-only
read-only
visible
visible
visible
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Starter Packs!
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Starter Packs!
IBM Forms Experience Builder Starter Packs http://www-10.lotus.com/ldd/lfwiki.nsf/dx/Forms_Experience_Builder_Starter_Packs
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Starter Packs!Types of Applications Features they demonstrate / document
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IBM Forms Website– http://www-01.ibm.com/software/lotus/forms/
IBM Forms on YouTube– http://www.youtube.com/user/LotusFormsEnabl
ement
IBM Forms Wiki– http://www-10.lotus.com/ldd/lfwiki.nsf
IBM Forms Catalog– http://www-
01.ibm.com/software/lotus/forms/catalog/
Experience Builder Download– http://www-
01.ibm.com/software/lotus/products/forms/designer/beta/
Where to find more information
Portal
iPad
Android
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