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Design environment
AchieveForms [AF] is an entirely browser-based forms
designer. Since it relies
on nothing but a browser, it is easy and cost-free to
roll out to as many users as needed within an
organization. Nor does it present the version control
problems that are associated with a client-based
application as version control is handled by the server.
AF allows for form filling from the Intranet, Public
Extranet and offline Laptops, Tablets, PDAs and smartphones. With direct synchronizing to SharePoint
custom lists data capture can be seamlessly integrated
with applications, workflow, storage or secondary
processing.
Extensibility
AchieveForms’ emphasis on using Web Services to extend
functionality
means that business users can create forms with minimal
interaction with
developers. Web Services can be developed and maintained
in parallel with a form. Because the custom code is
embedded in InfoPath, the form itself must be shared and
passed to developers for the custom code to be
integrated. With AchieveForms, the business user simply
selects the web service through the GUI and leaves the
rest to the developer.
Web compatibility
Forms created using AchieveForms are inherently
developed for the web. A business user can easily jump
between design and preview in the editor to see what the
completed form will look and behave like. InfoPath forms
are not inherently compatible with, or suitable for the
web. Before exporting a form to the web, the form
designer needs to run a compatibility test to ensure
that the form will function in a browser. The form then
needs to be
moved to the production environment by an administrator
before it can be tested and released.
Reusable components
AchieveForms offers a number of ways to reuse form
components. Reusable lists ensure that form design is
faster and that data is collected in a consistent
format. Subforms allow the creation of form components
that can be reused across multiple forms. By
encapsulating functionality into subforms, business
users can add advanced features without any need for
programming. Lists and subforms are maintained on the
AchieveForms server and any changes to the central
component are easily propagated to all forms using it.
Lookups are also maintained centrally and can be reused
across multiple forms. By defining lookups and making
them available to business users, anyone can access data
from disparate backend systems without technical skills.
Validated input
Capturing validated data is one of the primary benefits
of an electronic forms solution. Making validated data
capture available to business users greatly enhances the
functionality of a forms editor. In AchieveForms,
validation masks are created using regular expressions.
The masks are created by a developer and made available
to business users in a simple drop-down list. The list
is easily extensible and removes any complexity for the
business user. InfoPath on the other hand comes with a
fixed set of pre-defined validation masks. Any
additional masks will need to be custom coded into each
individual form. Validation can also be performed
against existing data using lookups. Since AchieveForms
allows for lookups to be defined and managed centrally,
it is easy for business users to use lookups to validate
form data. InfoPath does not provide the facility to
centrally define lookups for reuse, so each individual
form that requires a validation lookup will need to be
touched by a developer. |
