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There are three ways of connecting your form to your database. frevvo recommends that you read and understand each approach carefully before moving forward with form design in order to determine the most efficient approach, and prevent the need to redesign later. This table can help you decide which design approach to use based on your business requirements.
| The Doc URI Approach | Post via Web Hook | The Business Rules Approach | Dynamic Options | |
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| Overview | Automatically create the controls in your form based on your database table, and use the Document Action user interface to set up Doc URIs that can perform CRUD Operations. | Automatically post data from your form/workflow to your database mid-workflow using the Web Hook feature. | Write JavaScript business rules to perform CRUD operations. | Dynamically retrieve options at runtime from the Database Connector (or any RESTful web service) using the Options Src control property, no code needed. |
| Recommended Use Cases |
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| Form Design |
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| Use Checkbox, Dropdown, Radio or ComboBox control with the from palette design method. |
| Performance | Call the DB Connector once for all operations (using the autocreate feature) → fast, reliable performance | Call the DB Connector once after the prior step unloads (Continue is clicked). | Call the DB Connector query for every add/update operation (this can impact performance) | Calls the DB connector for each instance of the selection control. Fast, reliable performance for non-repeating controls. Performance issues may be seen for repeating controls. |
| Technical Skills | No code needed Create/Modify xsd schema document | No code needed Create/Modify xsd schema document | JavaScript code required | No code needed |
| Documentation | Generating XML Schema | Data Sources | CRUD Operations Example | 10-Minute Doc URI Video | Post via Web Hook | Forms Designer | Palette Controls | Integrations | Business Rules HTTP Methods | Rule Examples | Control Property Settings - Dynamic Options |
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- Create a form from an XML schema. In this case, the controls will be automatically created for you based on the XML schema definitions, and you can use the Doc URI approach.
- Drag and drop controls from the designer palette. You will have all control properties available in the designer, but you will only be able to use the Business Rule approach for database integration.
- You may also use a combination of the two methods and create some controls from schema and others from the palette.
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This is the recommended approach because it involves automatically generating controls in your form based on the database table you will be integrating with, and using the no-code Document Action: Manually Set Doc URIs to perform CRUD Operations on your database. The Doc URI Approach must be used with the "from an XML schema" design method. Follow these steps.
- Generate the XML Schema based on your SQL Statements that allows you to add form controls that match your database table columns.
- Add Form Controls from Schema in the form/workflow designer.
- Set Doc URIs to automatically read from and write to the database.
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In a workflow, the Doc URI writes to the database at the end of the workflow, after the final step is submitted. Perhaps you want to post to the database mid-workflow. You could use the Business Rule Approach, or for a no-code approach, you can simply use the same URL you would use for the Doc URI POST in a Web Hook.
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It is also possible to write business rules to perform CRUD operations. Business rules tend to be more complex and time-intensive to implement. The Business Rule Approach can be used with either the "from palette" or the "from an XML schema" design method. This approach is discussed in further detail with several examples in the following documentation:
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