Orbeon Forms 2017.2

Today we released Orbeon Forms 2017.2, the second and last major release of Orbeon Forms in 2017! This release introduces several major features and enhancements which should help form authors and form users be more productive!

Major features and enhancement

More flexible form layout

With Form Builder, all form controls in Form Builder are placed within grids. Until now, each grid could only have from 1 to 4 columns (with the option, by configuration, to extend that number at the risk of having funny-looking layouts). Spanning rows in a grid was possible, but spanning columns was not.

With Orbeon Forms 2017.2, we are introducing a fixed 12-column layout for wider displays. This is backward-compatible with the previous 1-4 column system, but also allows cells that span columns. (doc)

Grid layout with cells spanning rows and columns

Drag and drop of controls

You can now drag and drop controls between grid cells to easily move or copy controls. (doc)

Undo and redo

Instead of asking for confirmations, Form Builder now has undo and redo functions. The top of the toolbox now shows familiar undo and redo icons. (doc, blog)

Updated toolbox layout

The Form Builder toolbox now includes at the top, in a non-scrollable area, the Form Settings icon, clipboard icons, and undo/redo icons. The rest of the toolbox got split into 2 tabs: Controls, and Advanced. The latter includes Actions and Services, but also access to the Edit Source and Permissions functions.

Top of the improved toolbox

Cut/copy/paste of grids and sections

Grids or sections can be copied or cut to the clipboard and pasted once or multiple times. (doc)

Merge of section templates

Section templates included in the form can now be individually merged into the form. This allows you to modify the resulting section and its content. (doc)

Updating of control names when merging a section template

Replication

The purpose of replication is to provide high-availability of Orbeon Forms with as little disruption as possible to users currently filling out forms. This is achieved by replicating state between servers. So if a server goes down, the load balancer can redirect users with active sessions to other servers, and because the state was replicated there, users can continue their work. This is an Orbeon Forms PE feature. (doc)

Document leases

Document leases allow a user to update a document exclusively, with the assurance that another user will not overwrite it inadvertently. This is an Orbeon Forms PE feature. (doc, blog)

Message shown when another user owns a lease

Virus scanner API

When a user uploads files via one of the Form Runner attachment controls, a virus scanner can verify the file before it gets attached to the current form. Orbeon Forms now provides a simple Java API which allows implementors to integrate with virus scanning solutions. This is an Orbeon Forms PE feature.  (doc)

Form publish API

With Form Runner, you cannot simply take a form definition and store it in the database via the persistence REST API, because publishing requires adding some information to the form definition. This new API allows you to take a raw form definition, such as one you would see via the Form Builder's "Edit  Source" function, and publish it properly. This is an Orbeon Forms PE feature. (doc)

Run form in background API

The purpose of this API is to run a form definition in the background, that is without a user interface, and to allow optionally running one or more processes in addition to the regular execution of the form. This allows scenarios such as:

• creating new form data in the database
• reading, modifying and updating existing form data

For more details, see the documentation.

Other features and enhancements

Form Builder

• Ability to edit control label and hint in the Control Settings dialog. (doc)

Form Runner

• Improved accessibility of controls within repeated grids
• Ability to include custom dialogs in forms (doc)
• Support custom captcha XBL components (doc)
• Wizard status is persisted (doc)
• JavaScript API to find controls by name (doc)

XForms engine

• Label, hint an help can refer to controls within repeated content (doc)
• Subset of XPath 3.1 Map functions (doc)
• Subset of XPath 3.1 Array functions (doc)

Other new features and bug-fixes

Including the features and enhancements above, we closed over 60 issues since Orbeon Forms 2017.1.

Internationalization

See Localizing Orbeon Forms for the latest localization support. Localization depends on volunteers, so please let us know if you want to help!

Browser support

• Form Builder (creating forms)
• Chrome 63 (latest stable version)
• Firefox 57 (latest stable version) and the current Firefox ESR
• Microsoft Edge 16 (latest stable release)
• Safari 11 (latest stable version)
• Form Runner (accessing form)
• All browsers supported by Form Builder (see above)
• IE9 (deprecated), IE10, IE11, Edge 15
• Safari Mobile on iOS 10 and iOS 11
• Chrome for Android (stable channel)

Compatibility notes

Internet Explorer support in Form Builder

This version of Orbeon Forms drops Internet Explorer support in Form Builder. If you require a Microsoft browser, you can, however, use Microsoft Edge 16 or newer. Internet Explorer is still supported by Form Runner, as listed above.

Orbeon still recommends using Chrome, Firefox or Safari for Form Builder for the best Form Builder experience.

Processors removal

The following XML processors are removed as they depended on outdated versions of libraries with security vulnerabilities and had very little use:

• oxf:svg-converter and oxf:svg-serializer
• oxf:xslfo-converter, oxf:xslfo-serializer, and oxf:pdf-serializer

Download and feedback

You can download the latest version of Orbeon Forms from the downloads page.

Don't forget to grab a trial license for the PE version.

Please send feedback:

• via Twitter
• to the discussion list
• or as comments on this blog entry

We hope you enjoy this release!