Update "form" explaination in Glossary

[akshay-ap]

Through recent conversation, it seems like there can be a more clear explanation for the word form.

https://opendatakit.slack.com/archives/C5KCRU1L1/p1521481777000547

In current docs, the explanation of a form in the glossary is stated as A defined set of questions and answer choices displayed by an application that can render forms written in the XForm standard..
According to me, the correct word should be blank form.
I propose to add the explanation as follows:

form: An XML document written in the XForm standard.

• blank form: Stores information about the type of questions, constraints on answers and options (if any) for each question which is rendered by the application. It is generally referred just as form in the documentation.

• filled form: Stores the user responses. A filled form may also contain other files like images, audio, video.

[adammichaelwood]

form: An XML document written in the XForm standard.

I like this clarity, and the addition of two additional glossary terms. Your wording on blank and filled could be a little clearer.

The only thing I'm uncomfortable about here is that the clarity (form=XML document) eliminates the idea of a form, and the rendered form. I think of "form" in the abstract, with several manifestations: form definition (blank form), a filled in form, a rendered form (in app)

[akshay-ap]

Yes, form = XML document can have a more corrected explanation. Let's see what other community members have to say about it and the terms to be used for explaining blank and filled forms.

[akshay-ap]

I just noticed that current explanation for form is recursive:

form
A defined set of questions and answer choices displayed by an application that can render forms written in the XForm standard. Isn't it?

[adammichaelwood]

True. Also, I wrote that when I was still very new to the project. I imagine a lot of the glossary terms need some re-thinking.