Form configuration vs. form definition

Up to this point, we have mainly looked at form framework configuration. In short, form configuration is based on prototypes and allows you to define:

which form elements, finishers, and validators are available to the system,
how they are pre-configured,
how they are displayed in the frontend and backend.

However, a second important part of the form framework is form definition, which is configuration but for specific forms, for example the ones users define. Form definition includes:

form elements and their validators,
the order of the form elements on the form
the finishers that are fired when the form is submitted
values of form element properties.

In other words, a Text form element would be defined in form configuration but a Text form element located on page 1 at position 1 of a specific form would be defined in a form definition. A form definition might also define a placeholder (HTML attribute) with a value of "Your name here" in a form element. Form definitions are created by the backend form editor.

Example form definition (for a specific form)

identifier: ext-form-simple-contact-form-example
label: 'Simple Contact Form'
prototype: standard
type: Form

finishers:
  -
    identifier: EmailToReceiver
    options:
      subject: 'Your message'
      recipients:
        your.company@example.com: 'Your Company name'
        ceo@example.com: 'CEO'
      senderAddress: '{email}'
      senderName: '{name}'

renderables:
  -
    identifier: page-1
    label: 'Contact Form'
    type: Page

    renderables:
      -
        identifier: name
        label: 'Name'
        type: Text
        properties:
          fluidAdditionalAttributes:
            placeholder: 'Name'
        defaultValue: ''
        validators:
          -
            identifier: NotEmpty
      -
        identifier: subject
        label: 'Subject'
        type: Text
        properties:
          fluidAdditionalAttributes:
            placeholder: 'Subject'
        defaultValue: ''
        validators:
          -
            identifier: NotEmpty
      -
        identifier: email
        label: 'Email'
        type: Text
        properties:
          fluidAdditionalAttributes:
            placeholder: 'Email address'
        defaultValue: ''
        validators:
          -
            identifier: NotEmpty
          -
            identifier: EmailAddress
      -
        identifier: message
        label: 'Message'
        type: Textarea
        properties:
          fluidAdditionalAttributes:
            placeholder: ''
        defaultValue: ''
        validators:
          -
            identifier: NotEmpty
      -
        identifier: hidden
        label: 'Hidden Field'
        type: Hidden
  -
    identifier: summarypage
    label: 'Summary page'
    type: SummaryPage