XFA Specification
Preface
Document Contents
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Document Contents
This reference is a complete guide to XFA. It describes the various XML grammars that comprise XFA and it
explains the rules for processing those grammars in conjunction with data supplied from sources outside
the XFA form.
This reference is presented in the following major parts:
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Part 1: XFA Processing Guidelines.
This part contains narrative chapters that introduce XFA and provide
rules for processing XFA in conjunction with data received from an outside source. These rules provide
a standard interpretation of XFA expressions and data, which helps to ensure that XFA-related behavior
in XFA processing applications is equivalent. More importantly it helps to ensure that XFA processing
applications that contribute to sequential processing of XFA documents do not have mis-matched
expectations.
Part 2: XFA Grammar Specifications.
This part provides a set of references that describe the elements
and attributes of each of the grammars that comprise XFA. Each chapter describes one of these
grammars.
Part 3: Other XFA-Related References.
Each chapter in this part contains reference material for non-XML
expressions used with XFA. Although the standards described in these chapters are an important part
of XFA processing, they are not considered XFA grammars.
Part 4: Appendices, Bibliography, Glossary and Index.
This part contains appendices that provide
adjunct information referenced by the narrative chapters in Part 1. It also contains a bibliography, a
glossary and an index.
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Intended Audience
You should read this specification if you are developing a template designing application or if you are
developing an XFA processing application. This is especially true if either type of application is intended to
work with the Adobe® XFA-compatible products, such as Acrobat® and LiveCycle® Designer.
Non-technical readers may benefit from reading the chapter,
“Introduction to XML Forms Architecture
(XFA)” on page 14.
Perspective Used in Describing Processing Guidelines
This document is written from the perspective of an XFA processing application. That is, this document
describes the steps an XFA processing application must perform to properly interpret XFA, especially in the
context of accepting outside data into an XFA form.
The narrative in this document describes the XFA processing rules as through the processing application
were using XML Document Object Models (DOMs) as its internal representation of XFA constructs and of
data. It also assumes all property references are in terms of objects. While such representations are not
required, they are the most common way of implementing code that processes XML data.
Notwithstanding this document’s focus on DOMs and objects, nothing in this specification demands that
the same internal data structures be employed by any particular implementation. Similarly,
notwithstanding the use of terms such as "object" associated with object-oriented languages, nothing in
this specification constrains what programming language(s) may be used by any particular
implementation. However conforming implementations must provide the same external functionality and
must employ the same external data structures.