Form definitions and form data batch export
Availability
Context
Orbeon Forms includes a few ways to export form definitions and form data. This page documents a very specific capability: exporting form definitions and form data in a batch, that is, multiple form definitions and their data are exported at once. The result is stored in a zip file which downloads to your computer.
For a different type of export, see also Excel and XML export.
How to access the feature
The feature is available on the Form Runner Forms Admin page. There, an "Export" button is available at the top of the page.
Export modes
Exporting can be done in two different modes. You can either export the forms that were explicitly selected:
Or you can export forms by specifying a list of application, form, and version filters:
The application filter can either be set to "All applications" or to a specific application. When a specific application is selected, the form filter can either be set to "All forms" or to a specific form. The version filter can always be set to "All versions" or "Latest version" and when a specific form is selected, it can also be set to a specific version.
The "Form definition / data" dropdown allows you to choose whether you want to export form definitions, form data, or both.
The "Current data / revision history" dropdown allows you to choose whether you want to export the current data, the revision history, or both.
Finally, it's possible to specify a date range using the "From" and "Until" date pickers. This allows you to export only the data that was modified after and/or before the specified dates. Both the "From" and "Until" dates are inclusive.
Zip file structure
The exported zip file contains all selected form definitions and data, as well as associated attachments.
The form data are stored in data.xml files, located in paths following the structure below:
[app]/[form]/[version]/data/[document ID]/[last modified date/time]/data.xml
Example:
orbeon/acme-order-form/2/data/06ae53279bd3b74d20ee58e6a2a3240ab03206fa/2023-11-30T13:29:03.919Z/data.xml
Form definitions are stored in form.xhtml files, located in similarly structured paths:
[app]/[form]/[version]/form/latest/form.xhtml
Example:
orbeon/acme-order-form/2/form/latest/form.xhtml
Attachments are stored alongside the form data and definitions. Examples:
test-app/test-form/2/data/8679184c2b13c55fe74e84fa5c76b3aa643ca7f2/latest/b7dfdf7fa55954548c4bf1c3f1964f9cb276d20f.bin
orbeon/pta-remittance/1/form/latest/4ccffb5e691d8b2ec4c29f9bea88feb2e625580c.bin
Form data, form definitions, and attachments can have metadata, in which case .metadata.xml files will be included as well. Example:
orbeon/bookshelf/1/data/5bba537614484bd9e33c97bfc7649889/2023-08-21T09:16:09.914Z/data.xml.metadata.xml
Metadata include information such as:
the user/group who created the data
the user who last modified the data
the workflow stage
Permissions
The export feature exports forms and data regardless of the permissions of the user who performs the export, as long as that user has access to the Forms Admin page. Therefore, it is very important to control access to the Forms Admin page.
Limitations
At the moment, once the "Export" button has been clicked, the dialog will be closed and the export will be performed in the background. This means that you won't be able to see the progress of the export, and you won't be able to cancel it. This also means you shouldn't leave the current page until the zip file has been downloaded. This will be improved in a future version.
See also
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