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{{Infobox file format
| name = Extensible Forms Description Language
| extension = .xfdl
| mime = <code>application/xml, text/xml</code> (deprecated)
|_nomimecode = yes
| type code =
| uniform type = public.xml
| magic =
| owner = [http://www.w3.org/ World Wide Web Consortium]
| genre = [[Markup language]]
| container for =
| contained by =
| extended from =
| extended to =
| standard = [http://www.w3.org/TR/1998/NOTE-XFDL-19980902 4.0]
}}
'''Extensible Forms Description Language''' ('''XFDL''') is a high-level [[computer language]] that facilitates defining a form as a single, stand-alone object using elements and attributes from [[XML|the Extensible Markup Language (XML)]]. Technically, it is a class of XML originally specified in a [[World Wide Web Consortium]] (W3C) Note.<ref>[http://www.w3.org/TR/1998/NOTE-XFDL-19980902 Extensible Forms Description Language (XFDL) 4.0], W3C Note, 2 SEP 1998.</ref> See Specifications below for links to the current versions of XFDL. XFDL It offers precise control over form layout, permitting replacement of existing business/government forms with electronic documents in a human-readable, [[open standard]].

In addition to precision layout control, XFDL provides multiple page capabilities, step-by-step guided user experiences, and [[digital signature]]s. XFDL also provides a syntax for in-line mathematical and conditional expressions and data validation constraints as well as custom items, options, and external code functions. Current versions of XFDL (see Specifications below) are capable of providing these interactive features via open standard markup languages including XForms,<ref>[http://www.w3.org/TR/2009/REC-xforms-20091020/ XForms 1.1], W3C Recommendation, 20 OCT 2009.</ref> XPath,<ref>[http://www.w3.org/TR/1999/REC-xpath-19991116 XML Path Language (XPath) Version 1.0], W3C Recommendation, 16 NOV 1999.</ref> XML Schema<ref>[http://www.w3.org/TR/2004/REC-xmlschema-1-20041028/ XML Schema Part 1: Structures Second Edition], W3C Recommendation, 28 OCT 2004;
[http://www.w3.org/TR/2004/REC-xmlschema-2-20041028/ XML Schema Part 2: Datatypes Second Edition], W3C Recommendation, 28 OCT 2004.</ref> and XML Signatures.<ref>[http://www.w3.org/TR/2008/REC-xmldsig-core-20080610/ XML Signature Syntax and Processing (Second Edition)], W3C Recommendation, 10 JUN 2008.</ref>

XFDL not only supports multiple digital signatures, but the signatures can apply to specific sections of a form and prevent changes to signed content.

These advantages to XFDL led large organizations such as the [[United States Army]] and [[United States Air Force|Air Force]] to migrate to XFDL from using forms in other formats. Later, though, the lack of portable software capable of creating XFDL led them to investigate moving away from it. The Army migrated to [[Adobe Systems|Adobe]] fillable [[PDF]]s in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Redmann |first=Steven J |date=10 Jul 2013 |title=Army Migrating to Adobe Fillable Forms |url=https://armypubs.army.mil/news/Memo_Army_Migrating_to_Adobe_Fillable_Forms_10Jul13_Redacted.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141023040026/http://armypubs.army.mil/news/Memo_Army_Migrating_to_Adobe_Fillable_Forms_10Jul13_Redacted.pdf |archive-date=23 Oct 2014 |access-date=17 Sep 2024 |website=Army Publishing Directorate |publisher=[[United States Department of the Army]]}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.w3.org/TR/2008/REC-xml-20081126/ Extensible Markup Language (XML) 1.0 (Fifth Edition)], W3C Recommendation, 26 NOV 2008.
*[http://xml.coverpages.org/xfdlPress980817.html XML Coverpages]
*[https://www.apd.army.mil/ United States Army Publishing Directorate]
*[https://www.e-publishing.af.mil/ USAF webpage with public downloadable XFDL reader: see "items of interest" link on right side of page for viewer download.]
* See also XML Paper Specification ([[XML Paper Specification|XPS]])

===Specifications===
*[https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/SSS28S_8.1.0/XFDL/xfdl_overview.html Extensible Forms Description Language (XFDL) 8.0]
*[http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/forms/v3r5m1/topic/com.ibm.form.designer.xfdl.doc/XFDL%20Specification%207.7.pdf Extensible Forms Description Language (XFDL) 7.7]
*[http://www.w3.org/TR/1998/NOTE-XFDL-19980902 Extensible Forms Description Language (XFDL) 4.0]

===Editors===
*[[IBM Lotus Forms|IBM Forms]] Designer
*''See [[XML editor]]'' for XML editors and other editing tools.

{{W3C Standards}}

[[Category:XML markup languages]]
[[Category:Markup languages]]
[[Category:World Wide Web Consortium standards]]
[[Category:Technical communication]]
[[Category:Computer file formats]]
[[Category:Open formats]]
[[Category:Data modeling languages]]

Extensible Forms Description Language - Revision history

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