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Keep these considerations in mind when planning
a form design:
-
Data capture requirements
-
Consider the data you hope to gather or distribute and how
you will capture and process it. Will users manually enter all data,
or can any data be prepopulated in the form?
-
Calculations or scripts to associate with the data and where
they will be run (client, server, or client and server)
-
Script will only run on a server if you are deploying forms
through Forms and/or Output.
-
Security requirements.
-
Will users require a password for such things as opening,
printing, copying text or applying signatures? See
Setting Security
,
Using password fields
, and
Using signature fields
.
-
Determining user needs
-
Your primary design objective should be to satisfy the needs
of the people who use your forms. The clearer your goals, the better
the form design.
-
Create a library of fragments
-
Consider creating fragments for logos, headers, address blocks,
and footers that can be shared among form designs.
-
Decide whether you will use the FormCalc or JavaScript language.
-
Examine which security options you will apply to the form.
-
Set accessibility standards, if needed.
-
Considering form usability
-
When planning a form, remember to build usability into the
design. Here are a few points to consider:
-
A form
should be easy to use. A simple layout with clear, meaningful captions will
make the form easier to understand. Forms can validate user input
and supply prompts to assist users who enter data. If Forms is available,
some of the information can be filled in ahead of time through merged
data. If you are adept at scripting, you can also develop scripts
to process or route data and forms automatically from the click
of a button.
-
A form should be accessible to users with disabilities.
See
About accessible forms
and
Tabbing order
.
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