📖 US Forms System Documentation ➡️ Getting Started with the US Forms System
Building a form using the US Forms System requires some minimum front-end development tools, as well as general knowledge of those tools. Where possible, we'll provide links to information about getting started with these tools.
- Command line interface (CLI)
- JavaScript
- Node.js and npm
- React
- JSON Schema
- react-jsonschema-form (rjsf)
You should be comfortable using command line tools such as Terminal (Mac and Linux) or Command Prompt (Windows). These tools come pre-installed on nearly all computers. There are several tutorials of various types available online to learn about the CLI.
Most technologies the US Forms System uses, such as React, are centered around JavaScript. We recommend basic familiarity with JavaScript to build forms with the US Forms System. For more information about JavaScript, including tutorials for getting started, see Pluralsight's JavaScript website.
Node.js is a JavaScript runtime environment that allows you to execute complete JavaScript programs. When you install Node.js, it automatically installs a package manager called npm. You need both Node.js (minimum version 8.0.0) and npm to develop using the US Forms System. For more information, including installation instructions, see the Node.js website.
React is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces (UI). For more information, including tutorials for getting started, see the React.js website.
JSON Schema is a concise method of describing JSON data. We recommend basic familiarity with JSON Schema to build forms with the US Forms System. For more information about JSON Schema, see Understanding JSON Schema by the Space Telescope Science Institute.
rjsf is a React component maintained by Mozilla that's used to build web forms based on JSON Schema. For more information, see the react-jsonschema-form documentation.