You would think we’re named Form.io because we help you make forms.
We do help you make forms, fast, but that’s not the reason for our name.
Our name has to do with the sauce—the secret elixir that’s at the very core, the very center of everything we do.
We’ve said in the past that we deliver JSON-powered forms, JSON-powered APIs, and JSON-powered databases.
But what does that actually mean?
First, let me just briefly explain JSON. Bear with me here—trust me and keep reading.
JSON is data. It’s written as name/value pairs. Don’t worry about that.
Know this: It’s easy to read and it is largely a language-independent data format. That means it doesn’t matter a whole lot what programming language you’re using. The top languages can all handle it.
Because of these things, it’s become the standard format for data exchange. Google, X/Twitter, and a whole bunch of companies use it and rely on it.
JSON is powerful. It’s good.
Then there’s MongoDB, which is a NoSQL database. Without going into the nitty gritty, these types of databases are generally cheaper and easier to maintain. You can distribute data easier, their data models are simple, it’s fast, it scales well, it’s flexible, and a bunch of other stuff.
There are also drawbacks with NoSQL databases, one of them being that all the data is unstructured. In other words, you need to have well-defined indexing, otherwise things can get out of hand.
Still with me?
In general, a lot of people think the pros outweigh the cons.
So where am I going with this?
The Form.
You know them as boxes on a web page that you fill in to submit. You might even know they’re made of HTML.
Yes, but, our forms aren’t defined as HTML. They are defined by JSON (then rendered as HTML) when you need them.
“Okay, what’s the big deal?” you might ask.
Here’s the sauce, the secret elixir:
- The JSON of the form represents the model of the UI elements.
- The same exact JSON (aka a “schema”) ALSO defines the contract between the client and the server of the data submission. This means you can achieve structured, deterministic databases in MongoDB.
- The same exact JSON ALSO governs the behavior of the server when it receives a request, the CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) interface for the REST API.
That’s killing 3 birds with one JSTONE.
All 3 of these things have been done before us. But we are the first ones to put them all together.
And when you put them altogether, know this:
The FORM rules.
And I mean that in a literal sense.
When you drag and drop to create a form in Form.io, you are accomplishing 3 things at once for a developer. That’s power. That’s speed. That’s efficiency.
All so you can put your data in, and get your data out.
One more thing from the Wizard of wizards:
Form.io can represent more than just what you think of as “forms”. Form.io is more about “FORM-ing something” as it is the “FORM-of something”. With Form.io, you are the creator. You create. You “FORM” new components. It IS the very definition of composable architecture! And there are so many great things to come!