Forms

Data entry to the system is done through data forms working on web browsers. Data forms include standard user interface elements, such as text fields, drop-down lists, check boxes, and enhanced elements, such as wiki editors and calendars. Some of the form elements are dynamic and activated/deactivated according to values of other form elements. Data fields that should not be left empty are indicated by an asterisk (). Text fields are generally restricted to entry of specific types of data, such as integer numbers, dates, or coordinates. Generally, such fields are indicated by special icons next to the field elements. The system supports fuzzy numbers for selected numeric data fields and multilingual data entry for selected form elements.

Form data is validated on the client side before submission of information to the server. If missing or invalid fields are found, they are displayed in yellow and indicated by using an exclamation mark next to the related form element. A warning dialog is also displayed. After the submission, form data is validated for the second time on the server to prevent unauthorized actions and determine invalid fields that cannot be determined on the client side. Server-side validation of data prevents possible data-intrusion attacks, to which on-line systems are susceptible. Identified errors are indicated at the top of the form (Figure 1).

Form Elements

Besides standard HTML form elements, RAPID-N also provides a rich set of advanced form elements to facilitate data entry. The supported form elements are described below:

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