Initial thoughts on input specifications

[Micah Dubinko <micah@dubinko.info>]

After a brief discussion with Ken, here are some initial thoughts on 
what the input specification should entail -- all things that should be 
implementable with any mainstream forms technology.

1) Overall navigation order for all form controls

2) The location within UBL XML of where the data for each control resides

3) For each control, list the "data collection intent" based on a 
vocabulary of intentions. An initial list of intentions is:

"output" -- nonmodifiable, dynamically updated data
"input" -- short, typically a single line or less data entry
"secret" -- short, typically a single line or less data entry that 
should not be echoed back
"textarea" -- longer, typically multiline data entry
"select exactly one" -- selection of one and only one item from a list
"select zero or more" -- selection of zero or more items from a list
"select from range" -- selection of a value between a minimum and maximum

There are more possibilities (like "upload" or "submit") but they may 
not be needed. Anyway, this is just a starting point.

A few more things came to me after the discussion.

4) A few things will be computed, so we need to say what gets calculated 
from what

5) Other accessibility things, like accesskey or the equivalent

6) This might get complicated, but maybe some kind of prioritization for 
what needs to be included in the form. Will the input specification say 
that a form *must* map every possible part of UBL XML to a visible form 
control?

For example, when I implemented the UBL 0.7 purchase order, instead of 
cluttering things with a 'currency' form control on each input line, I 
placed it once for the overall form, and had the data percolate down as 
needed. Should the input specifications allow this or say anything about it?

Thanks,

.micah

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  Micah Dubinko                           mailto:micah@dubinko.info
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