ASP.NET - Alternative form generator thingie

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The ASP.NET Control syntax is nice and all, but ultimately it's a mix of server and client side put together, along with a dollop of presentation logic.

 

I was wondering if anyone created an XForms->ASP.NET engine, or something simpler: if there's a simple XML document defining a boring data entry form in terms of the data it collects (with no regard to the surrounding XHTML). A simple conversion process converts it to an ASP.NET Web form either at compile-time or Application_Start-type.

 

So rather than having to define the form's markup and all the fields within and mess around with control adapters and validators and the like you just have:

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Which converts it nicely to:

 

 

 

FieldValue

 

 

 

Your Name

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your address

 

 

 

Actions

Send form

 

 

 

Waaay more readable, but just as functional, and compensates for ASP.NET's at-times verbose syntax. Of course you could swap out my generator for one that spits out ugly, presentational HTML with elements, but that's your call ;)

 

And you could easy get it to render the same form using WinForms controls as well.

 

But ultimately it's a kind of "XForms Lite", but given the lare number of "boring forms" people are tasked with creating I reckon it would be of use.

 

....would you use it?

 

And has anyone done it already?

 

 

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