REVOLUTIONIZING DIGITAL FORM MANAGEMENT
With AEM Forms
AEM Forms is a comprehensive platform for capturing, managing, and processing data in forms and documents. It streamlines internal and external processes, enhances data management, and provides a frontend for forms, a backend for processes, document services, and numerous interfaces.
The Frontend
In the past: PDF Forms
Adobe shaped the digital forms world with the PDF standard. In 2004, Adobe introduced XFA forms with the LiveCycle technology, allowing interactive features like JavaScript logic and XML data transfer. These forms, also known as XDP forms, could support complex application logic.
The AEM Forms Designer enables the creation of dynamic PDF forms that can be filled out in Adobe Reader. However, XFA forms have limitations, as they are not reliably supported on mobile devices and other PDF viewers.
With the fusion of Adobe LiveCycle and AEM (Adobe Experience Manager) in 2014, AEM Forms emerged as a solution optimized for web form development and has been fully integrated since AEM 6.0.
Acrobat and Form Creation
Adobe Acrobat Pro offers simple form creation but relies on the AcroForms technology, which quickly reaches its limits in the enterprise space. Integration with interfaces and data transfer is more complex and requires additional effort in AcroForms.
AEM Forms is Responsive
Adobe Experience Manager with the Forms module provides a platform for developing responsive HTML5 forms. Adaptive Forms leverage modern web technologies like "Vanilla JavaScript" and BEM styles, with Adobe offering the source code as open source. Developers can use pre-built repositories or Maven archetypes to quickly set up projects.
Forms are mainly created in the AEM Forms editor using drag-and-drop. Complex logic can be supplemented with JavaScript. Data is primarily managed in JSON format, with XML also supported. Interfaces to third-party systems such as REST, SOAP, and OData can be easily integrated through "Form Data Models."
PDF is Not Dead
HTML forms have limitations: they cannot be signed, archived securely, or printed. AEM Forms solves these issues by allowing form data from an Adaptive Form to be transferred into a PDF. This PDF can then be signed, printed, or archived. Adobe offers two variants for the "Document of Record" (DoR): a generic template that can be used for all web forms and an XDP-based template for custom designs.
The Backend
Data from forms is processed in the AEM backend, including JSON or XML datasets, PDFs, and file attachments. Submission Handlers allow data to be forwarded to interfaces, cloud storage services, or workflows. A workflow editor enables the design of complex submission processes. Additionally, custom services can be developed in Java and integrated.
The "Headless Adaptive Forms" technology in AEM Forms allows backend functionality to be used in custom mobile applications or Single Page Applications. Adobe provides clients for Java, JavaScript, and NodeJS on GitHub.
Deployment Variants
AEM Forms is available in various deployment options: On-Premise, Managed Service, or Cloud Service. All variants are based on the same codebase, with the Cloud Service continuously receiving new features. Adobe follows a cloud-first approach, releasing new features in the Cloud first.
Four Promises of Cloud Service
- Constant Availability: Content is always available and can be globally deployed.
- Scalability: Automatic adjustment to handle increased loads.
- Up-to-date: Regular updates and security patches are deployed without downtime.
- Continuous Evolution: The platform is constantly improved based on customer feedback and best practices.
New Features: Early Access and Prereleases
Adobe allows developers to access upcoming features and innovations in AEM Forms through the "Early Access" program and prerelease builds.
eggs unimedia: Your partner for the digital future
Whether adaptive forms, powerful integrations or compliance-compliant workflows - AEM Forms offers everything you need to make your processes future-proof.