Web Applications and Forms
Web applications and forms
A web application is a published set of pages, one of which is usually a form. Pages use templates and contain fields, labels, buttons, and JavaScript. The form maps fields to a schema, and a storage activity or workflow saves submissions. Context variables carry data between pages and into the workflow. Prefill can load values from a query or URL parameter. Publication generates the public URL; preview shows the design but does not publish it.
Landing pages commonly implement opt-in, opt-out, and double opt-in. Double opt-in sends a confirmation message and records consent only after the recipient clicks the link. Captchas and validation rules reduce abuse, but server-side validation is still required. Access control and security zones can restrict who may reach the application. Unsubscription pages must reconcile the visitor to the correct recipient before updating consent.
Traps and rule of thumb
A form is not automatically a web application, and an unpublished page is not reachable by its public URL. Context variables are not the same as workflow variables. Client-side validation can be bypassed. If the storage step is missing, the form displays but saves nothing.
Worked example: build a newsletter opt-in landing page with an email field, a consent checkbox, a storage activity that writes to the recipient schema using email as the reconciliation key, and a confirmation page. Rule: design the data path first-form field, context variable, storage mapping, reconciliation key-then style the page.