Form API
Buildocs UI Engine is more than a form builder - it's a complete frontend framework that lets you build sophisticated applications using interconnected forms, all controlled through a powerful runtime API.
Build Complete Applications, Not Just Forms
Stop thinking about individual forms. With Buildocs UI Engine, you can build entire applications where multiple forms work together as a cohesive system:
Example: Customer Management Application
Master Form displays a table of customer records with an "Add New" button:
- Click "Add New" → Opens a customer creation form in a modal
- Save the form → Table automatically refreshes with the new entry
- Click any table row → Opens a detailed customer view form
Detail Form shows customer information with action buttons and embedded tables:
- Edit button → Opens the customer edit form
- View Orders button → Opens an orders table form
- Add Payment button → Opens a payment entry form
- Each of these can open additional forms for managing related data
Multi-Form Workflows
Link forms together to create complex workflows:
- Approval processes - Submit form → Opens approval form → Triggers notification forms
- Wizards - Step-by-step forms that open sequentially with data passing between them
- Master-detail interfaces - Parent records with child forms for related data
- Document management - Forms that open other forms for file uploads, previews, and downloads
With Buildocs UI Engine, the entire frontend is handled automatically. Forms open other forms, tables refresh dynamically, modals appear when needed, and data flows seamlessly. You only write backend code - your API receives events, applies business logic, and responds with actions that control the forms.
Your Backend Controls Everything
The real power of Buildocs UI Engine is that all form behavior is controlled by your backend. When users interact with forms, your API receives events and responds with instructions:
Backend-Driven Actions
Your API can instruct forms to:
- Open other forms - Launch forms in modals with new context
- Set field values - Populate fields based on calculations or database lookups
- Show/hide widgets - Reveal or conceal sections based on business rules
- Pre-populate dropdowns - Load dropdown options from the backend
- Refresh tables - Update data tables after changes
- Set read-only state - Lock or unlock fields dynamically
- Preview documents - Preview files using integrated documents previewer
- Trigger file downloads - Generate and deliver documents
- Display messages - Show success, warning, error, or info notifications
- Highlight fields - Draw attention to specific fields with visual indicators
- Execute validation - Apply server-side validation rules
- Close forms - Dismiss modals after successful operations
Your business logic lives entirely on the server. Update form behavior by changing your backend responses - no frontend deployment required.
This architecture enables powerful scenarios: approve a request and the form locks itself, select a premium tier and additional options appear, save a record and see the parent table refresh automatically. Your backend orchestrates the entire user experience.
Core API Capabilities
Dynamic Widget Control
Show and Hide Widgets - Control visibility based on any condition. Reveal sections when users select specific options, hide fields based on user roles, or show advanced options for premium users.
Read-Only and Editable States - Lock or unlock fields dynamically. Make entire sections read-only after approval, enable editing based on permissions, or protect finalized data while allowing comments.
Prefill Form Data - Populate forms with existing data from your systems. Load customer information, default values, or data from previous submissions automatically.
User Notifications
Display messages to users during form interactions:
- Success - Confirm completed actions ("Customer saved successfully")
- Warning - Alert users to potential issues ("This action cannot be undone")
- Error - Notify of problems that need attention ("Email address already exists")
- Info - Provide helpful information ("Premium features are available on this plan")
Validation and Error Handling
Backend-Driven Validation
Implement business-specific validation rules that run on your server:
- Check for duplicate records in your database
- Validate against external systems or APIs
- Enforce complex business rules that depend on multiple data sources
- Apply role-based validation rules
Field Highlighting
Draw attention to specific fields with visual indicators:
- Highlight validation errors from backend checks
- Mark required fields that need user attention
- Indicate successfully validated fields
- Show warnings for fields that need review
File Management
File Upload and Processing
Handle file uploads with complete control:
- Monitor upload progress in real-time
- Validate file types and sizes on the backend
- Process uploaded files through your systems
- Store files in your preferred storage solution
- Trigger workflows based on uploaded content
File Download and Generation
Trigger file downloads programmatically from your backend:
- Generate PDF reports on-demand
- Export data to Excel or CSV
- Deliver signed contracts or certificates
- Create and download custom documents
PDF Preview
Display PDF documents directly within forms:
- Preview uploaded documents before submission
- Show contracts for review and approval
- Display generated reports inline
- View related documents without leaving the form context
Form Navigation and Modals
Open Forms from Anywhere
Your backend can open any form in response to user actions:
- From buttons - Click "Add Customer" to open a customer form
- From tables - Click a row to open its detail form
- From other forms - One form can trigger another form to open
- After save - Complete one form and open the next in a workflow
Modal and Full-Screen Forms
Present forms in different contexts:
- Modal overlays - Quick edits and data entry without losing context
- Full-screen forms - Complex forms that need the entire viewport
- Nested modals - Open a form from within another form's modal
- Sequential modals - Complete a series of forms step by step
Table Integration
Tables and forms work together seamlessly:
- Add button opens a blank form
- Row click opens a pre-filled form with existing data
- Save form and watch the table refresh automatically
- Inline editing with forms appearing in context
Real-Time Backend Communication
Field Change Handlers
Every widget can trigger backend calls when values change:
- Cascading dropdowns - Select a country, load states/provinces
- Dynamic pricing - Choose product options, calculate total in real-time
- Availability checks - Enter a username, verify it's available
- Auto-complete - Type in a field, fetch matching suggestions
- Dependent fields - One field's value determines other fields' options
Event-Driven Architecture
Forms communicate with your backend throughout the user journey:
- onLoad - Form opens, fetch initial data
- onChange - Field value changes, run business logic
- onSave - User clicks save, validate and process data
- onButtonClick - Custom button clicked, execute specific actions
- onTableAction - Table interaction occurs, respond accordingly
Your backend receives structured events and responds with actions that execute automatically. The frontend is completely reactive to your server's instructions.
Bi-Directional Data Flow
Unlike traditional forms that only submit data:
- Forms request data from your backend when needed
- Your backend pushes updates to forms based on business logic
- Real-time updates happen without page refreshes
- Complex workflows orchestrate multiple forms and data sources
Internationalization and Localization
Multi-Language Support
Render forms in any language without code changes:
- Translations managed through the Buildocs UI Engine interface
- Labels, placeholders, validation messages, and button text all translated
- Automatic fallback to default language if translation is missing
- Switch languages dynamically based on user preferences
Regional Formatting
Automatic formatting based on user locale:
- Date formats - DD/MM/YYYY, MM/DD/YYYY, YYYY-MM-DD, and more
- Time formats - 12-hour or 24-hour format
- Number formats - Decimal separators and thousand separators
- Currency - Proper currency symbols and formatting
Think Applications, Not Forms
Traditional form builders give you static data collection tools. Buildocs UI Engine gives you a complete frontend framework for building interactive applications:
| Traditional Approach | Buildocs UI Engine Framework |
|---|---|
| Single-page forms | Multi-form applications |
| Static field layouts | Dynamic widget control |
| Fixed validation rules | Backend-driven validation |
| Simple data collection | Real-time data manipulation |
| Form submits data | Bidirectional communication |
| Frontend developers needed | Backend-only development |
| Deploy for UI changes | Change behavior via API |
The Development Experience
You focus on business logic - Write backend code that handles data, enforces rules, and orchestrates form behavior.
We handle the frontend - Forms open automatically, tables refresh, modals appear, fields update, validations display - all controlled by your API responses.
No frontend deployments - Change form behavior by updating your backend logic. The frontend responds automatically to your server's instructions.
Build Like a SaaS Product
With Buildocs UI Engine, you can build applications that rival modern SaaS products:
- CRM systems with customer, contact, and opportunity management
- Project management tools with tasks, timelines, and resource allocation
- Inventory systems with products, orders, and stock tracking
- Document management with file uploads, approvals, and version control
- Any business application that requires forms, tables, and workflows
The difference? You only write the backend. The entire frontend is handled by Buildocs UI Engine, controlled through your API responses.