Adaptive Forms Authoring and Form Model Design
What to know
An Adaptive Form is built from a form container (guide container) plus panels and field components. Understand the root panel, layout modes (responsive grid, panel layouts), and the rule editor (visual rule authoring) versus client libraries. Know the difference between basic components (text box, numeric box, date picker, dropdown, file attachment, panel) and adaptive form fragments (reusable sub-forms). Fragments can be referenced (single source of truth) or copied.
Form model design
Forms can be schema-based (XML/JSON schema), FDM-based, or form-model-less (no data source). Understand the data binding of fields to schema/FDM elements, and how the submit action (Submit to REST, Submit to FDM, Email, PDF) interacts with the model. Know themes (clientlibs) for styling and templates for structure.
Traps
A frequent trap is fragment behavior: editing a referenced fragment updates all instances, while a copied fragment diverges. Another is assuming a form-model-less form can submit to an FDM - it cannot without a model. Questions also test whether the submit action and data model must be compatible. Watch for confusion between theme (presentation) and template (structure).
Rule of thumb
Choose the form model first: if data must round-trip to a backend entity, use an FDM; if only schema validation is needed, use an XML/JSON schema; if it is a standalone form, use no model.
Worked example
Two forms share an address block. Use a referenced fragment so a single edit (e.g., adding a country field) propagates. If one form needs a variant, copy the fragment into that form and modify it.