The FORMS II Lite Software Technical Corner contains all the files necessary for understanding Version 5.1 (MR1) from a systems standpoint. We hope that Regions and laboratories will take advantage of the different exports provided by FORMS II Lite to bring information directly into their LIMS or other database management systems. The documents herein provide explanations of the database setup of FORMS II Lite software, and provide the Document Type Definitions (DTDs) needed for using the eXtensible Markup Language (XML) files.  

• Developer's Reference
• XML Tools

Developer's Reference

DTDs for Laboratory Electronic Traffic Report/Chain-of-Custody (TR/COC) Form and Regional Traffic Report

Purpose: There is a separate DTD for the Regional export and the laboratory export. XML files reference DTDs that specify the expected data and format. The FORMS II Lite software DTDs referenced in the XML files are on the Internet and cannot be checked unless you are online. To get around this, open the XML file in Notepad and delete the first line of the XML file that starts with "DOCTYPE..."

Note that DTDs can either accompany an XML document or the XML can contain references to the location of the DTD on the Internet, as we do with the FORMS II Lite software files.

• F2Lab51 DTD PDF (3 pages, 44KB)
• F2REG51 DTD PDF (3 pages, 40KB)

ERD

Purpose: This is the Entity Relationship Diagram as generated by Erwin. This represents the relationships between tables in the latest version of the FORMS II Lite software database.

• FORMS II Lite 5.1 Entity Relationship Diagram PDF (814KB, 1 page)

Field Definitions

Purpose: These definitions document the fields in the database.

• FORMS II Lite Field Values PDF (10 pages, 229KB)

Brochure

Purpose: This brochure gives a high-level explanation of FORMS II Lite software and is a good handout for people just learning about FORMS II Lite.

• FORMS II Lite Brochure PDF (206 KB, 2 pages)

User's Guide

Purpose: This user guide provides guidance on how to use FORMS II Lite software for documenting sampling activities. It includes detailed information on the import and export features.

• FORMS II Lite User's Guide PDF (869KB, 71 pages)

XML Tools

What is XML?

"Extensible Markup Language (XML) is the universal format for data on the web. XML allows developers to easily describe and deliver rich, structured data from any application in a standard, consistent way." (Microsoft XML Core)

XML Spy

Purpose: There are two easy ways to retrieve the data from an XML file if you do not have the capability built into the database product you are using. One is to use XML Spy's Convert feature that translates the XML file into text files or into a MS Access table. The other is to use various parsing tools available on the Internet, such as Import Export Studio, which is listed below.

• http://www.xmlspy.com/

Etasoft's Import Export Studio

Purpose: This is a suite of somewhat inexpensive tools developed to import or export data to and from databases. Business rules can be defined as maps and used to import data (e.g., XML, EDI, etc.), read data from a file, parse it and insert into database or export data, read data from SQL queries, and create an output file. Maps can be executed unattended using Import/Export Server if they are attached to mailboxes or queues. It seems to have a decent interface, and it would allow you to take the FORMS II Lite software XML file, map it to your database and then import.

• http://www.etasoft.com/impstd/cmintro.htm

To inquire about the FORMS II Lite software, contact the Help Desk at f2lite@fedcsc.com.