formatsa

Formatsa is a term used in theoretical discussions of data representation to describe a hypothetical, standardized format for encoding forms and their data. It is not a formal standard and has no official specification; rather, it serves as a conceptual model for exploring interoperability between form-based systems.

Design goals of formatsa include separating the form structure from its content, enabling consistent validation, and supporting extensibility across domains such as web forms, surveys, and digital archives. A formatsa document would specify a form template with a version, a form identifier, and a set of field definitions; each field would declare its name, data type, constraints (such as required or allowed values), and presentation metadata (labels, hints).

A minimal example might look like a document with version: '1.0', formName: 'ContactInfo', fields: [ {id:'name', type:'string', required:true, label:'Full name'}, {id:'email', type:'string', required:true, label:'Email address', format:'email'} ]. The content would be separate, containing values matched to field names.

In relation to existing standards, formatsa draws on ideas from JSON Schema, XML Schema, and form data models but imagines an integrated, form-focused container that is language-agnostic and versioned. Proponents discuss potential applications in digital forms ecosystems, content management, and archival workflows, though no formal adoption exists.

See also: JSON Schema, XML Schema, form data modeling, data interchange formats.