Introduction
FormEngine is a comprehensive suite of products that enables you to create, manage, and deploy online forms with unprecedented ease and flexibility. The platform offers solutions for every stage of form developmentβfrom visual building tools to powerful rendering engines and AI-assisted creation.
Product Ecosystemβ
π― FormEngine Coreβ
Open-Source, free JSON form renderer React library
FormEngine Core is a lightweight, high-performance React library that renders forms from JSON configuration. It handles all form state management, validation, event handling, and conditional logic while letting you use any React component library you prefer: Material UI, React Suite, Chakra UI, Ant Design, or your own design system.
With FormEngine Core, you can:
- Render forms from JSON with real-time state management
- Use built-in validation powered by Zod, with custom rule support
- Add multi-language and localization support
- Create dynamic forms with conditional rendering
- Extend the component system with TypeScript support
- Work with any React component library
π¨ FormEngine Designerβ
React drag and drop form builder library
FormEngine Designer is a visual form building tool that you can embed directly into your applications. It provides a drag-and-drop interface where users can create forms without writing any code. The designer generates JSON configuration that FormEngine Core renders, giving you a seamless workflow from visual design to functional forms.
With FormEngine Designer, you get:
- A visual drag-and-drop form builder interface
- Real-time preview of form designs
- Export to FormEngine Core JSON format
- A component palette with search and filtering
- Property editors for component customization
- Easy integration with existing React applications
π Online FormBuilderβ
Create forms for FormEngine Core Online
Online FormBuilder is a cloud-based version of FormEngine Designer that requires no installation or setup. It's a complete web application where you can design forms visually and instantly generate JSON configuration for FormEngine Core. Use it for quick prototyping, sharing form designs with your team, or when you prefer a SaaS solution.
With Online FormBuilder, you can:
- Use a zero-installation web application
- Save form designs in the browser database
- Collaborate with team workflows
- Export JSON for FormEngine Core with one click
- Start from pre-built templates and examples
- Preview responsive designs across device sizes
π€ AI React Form Builderβ
Build a complex form with AI, drop it into GPT
AI React Form Builder uses artificial intelligence to generate forms from natural language descriptions. Describe what you need in plain English, and the AI creates a complete form with appropriate fields, validation, and layout. The generated forms are compatible with FormEngine Core, giving you a powerful synergy between AI-assisted creation and a robust rendering engine.
With AI React Form Builder, you can:
- Generate forms from natural language
- Get AI-powered field selection and validation
- Receive context-aware layout suggestions
- Export to FormEngine Core JSON format
- Integrate with GPT and other AI models
- Refine forms iteratively based on feedback
How Products Work Togetherβ
The FormEngine ecosystem is designed as interconnected components that work seamlessly together:
Workflow Explanation:
- Creation: Forms can be created through multiple entry points:
- AI FormBuilder: Describe forms in natural language
- Online FormBuilder: Use the cloud-based visual designer
- FormEngine Designer: Embed the designer in your applications
- Output: All creation methods produce FormEngine Core JSON - a standardized format that describes the form structure, logic, and behavior.
- Rendering: FormEngine Core takes the JSON configuration and renders it as a fully functional form using your chosen component library.
- Integration: FormEngine Designer can be embedded directly into React applications, allowing end-users to create forms within your application interface.
FormEngine Core Documentation Structureβ
The FormEngine Core documentation is organized into three complexity levels so you can quickly find what you need. This structure helps you learn at your own pace and discover advanced features when you need them.
Essentialβ
Critical knowledge for daily use
Start with the essential topics. These sections cover the fundamentals you'll use in 80% of your form-building work. We recommend reading these first to get the most out of FormEngine Core.
Essential documentation includes:
- Installation β Get FormEngine Core up and running in under 5 minutes
- Rendering Forms β Learn how FormEngine Core renders forms from JSON
- Handling Form Data β Work with form data from basic binding to advanced manipulation
- Validation β Comprehensive guide to form validation in FormEngine Core
Additionalβ
Useful extensions and best practices
Explore these sections when you're ready to enhance your forms. They include optimization techniques, styling options, and integration patterns that improve both your development experience and your forms' performance.
Additional documentation includes:
- Conditional Rendering β Show or hide components based on form state
- Actions and Events β Create interactive forms with event handling
- Localization β Build multi-language forms for international audiences
- Tooltip β Add contextual help to form fields
- Styling Components and Forms β Customize appearance with CSS, JSON, and responsive design
- Disabled and Read-Only Components β Control component interaction states
- Components Library β Explore available components (under construction)
- Layout System β Understand form layout mechanisms (under construction)
Advancedβ
Specialized features for complex scenarios
Reference these topics when you face advanced requirements or need to customize FormEngine Core deeply. These features give you maximum control for complex use cases.
Advanced documentation includes:
- Form JSON β Deep dive into the shared structure of FormEngine form JSON
- Computed Properties β Create dynamic form properties (under construction)
- User Defined Properties β Extend forms with custom properties (under construction)
- HTML Attributes β Work with HTML attributes (under construction)
- Embedded Forms β Nest forms within forms (under construction)
- Modal β Implement modal dialogs (under construction)
- JSON Schema β Understand the JSON schema for forms (under construction)
- Custom Components β Extend FormEngine Core with your own components
Color Coding in FormEngine Core Documentationβ
Look for the color coding in the left navigation panel of the FormEngine Core documentation. Each color tells you at a glance what kind of content you'll find:
- Start here for essential knowledge
- Explore these for useful extensions
- Reference these for advanced scenarios
This visual system helps you find the right information quickly, whether you're just starting out or tackling a complex challenge.
Ready to Build Amazing Forms?β
Choose your path based on what you want to accomplish:
For Developers Integrating Formsβ
Start with the FormEngine Core documentation to learn how to render forms from JSON in your React applications. You'll discover how to work with any component library while getting built-in validation, state management, and multi-language support.
For Building Form Creation Toolsβ
Explore FormEngine Designer to add visual form building capabilities to your applications. Give your users a drag-and-drop interface to create forms without writing code.
For Quick Form Prototypingβ
Try the Online FormBuilder when you need to design forms fast. No installation requiredβjust create, export JSON, and integrate with FormEngine Core.
For AI-Assisted Developmentβ
Experiment with the AI React Form Builder to generate forms from natural language descriptions. Describe what you need, and let AI handle the details.
Whichever path you choose, all roads lead to FormEngine Core JSONβthe universal format that powers the entire ecosystem. This consistency ensures your forms work seamlessly across all FormEngine products.
Your first form is just minutes away. Pick your starting point and begin creating!