Index: openacs-4/packages/xowiki/resources/prototypes/form.form.page
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/xowiki/resources/prototypes/form.form.page,v
diff -u -r1.1.2.2 -r1.1.2.3
--- openacs-4/packages/xowiki/resources/prototypes/form.form.page	14 Mar 2022 12:26:35 -0000	1.1.2.2
+++ openacs-4/packages/xowiki/resources/prototypes/form.form.page	15 Mar 2022 11:53:15 -0000	1.1.2.3
@@ -4,12 +4,10 @@
     -title "Wiki Form" \
     -set anon_instances f \
     -set text {@_text@ @_text@ @_text@} \
-    -set form {<form>@_name@ @_page_order@ @_title@ @_creator@ @_text@ @form@ @form_constraints@ @anon_instances@ @_description@</form>} \
+    -set form {<form>@_name@ @_page_order@ @_title@ @_creator@ @_text@ @form@ @form_constraints@ @anon_instances@ @_description@ @_nls_language@</form>} \
     -set form_constraints {
         _text:richtext,height=150px,label=#xowiki.Form-template#
         form:form,height=150px,label=#xowiki.Form-form#
         form_constraints:form_constraints,cols=100,rows=5,label=#xowiki.Form-form_constraints#
         anon_instances:boolean,horizontal=true,label=#xowiki.PageTemplate-anon_instances#
-        _nls_language:omit
-        @cr_fields:omit
     }
Index: openacs-4/packages/xowiki/tcl/form-field-procs.tcl
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/xowiki/tcl/form-field-procs.tcl,v
diff -u -r1.284.2.209 -r1.284.2.210
--- openacs-4/packages/xowiki/tcl/form-field-procs.tcl	14 Mar 2022 12:25:15 -0000	1.284.2.209
+++ openacs-4/packages/xowiki/tcl/form-field-procs.tcl	15 Mar 2022 11:53:15 -0000	1.284.2.210
@@ -347,6 +347,7 @@
         #:msg "++ call-field level validator $validator_method '$value'"
         set success [:validation_check $validator_method $value]
       }
+      #:log "++ ${:name} [:info class] validator=[:validator] ([llength [:validator]]) value=$value -> $success"
       if {$success == 1} {
         #
         # The previous check was ok, check now for a validator on the
@@ -370,9 +371,12 @@
         if {![info exists __langPkg]} {
           set __langPkg "xowiki"
         }
-        #:log "calling $__langPkg.$cl-validate_$validator with [list value $value errorMsg $errorMsg] on level [info level] -- [lsort [info vars]]"
+        #:log "calling $__langPkg.$cl-validate_$validator with [list value $value errorMsg $errorMsg] on level [info level]"
         set msg [_ $__langPkg.$cl-validate_$validator [list value $value errorMsg $errorMsg]]
-        #:log "++ ${:name}: ======> RETURN VALIDATION FAILED <$msg>"
+        if {$msg eq ""} {
+          set msg  "validation of field '$validator' failed, '$errorMsg', no message key '$__langPkg.$cl-validate_$validator' provided"
+          :log "++ ${:name}: VALIDATION FAILED <$msg>"
+        }
         return $msg
       }
     }
@@ -6271,13 +6275,34 @@
   }
 
   form instproc check=form {value} {
-    set form $value
-    #:msg form=$form
-    dom parse -simple -html $form doc
-    $doc documentElement root
-    set rootNodeName ""
-    if {$root ne ""} {set rootNodeName [$root nodeName]}
-    return [expr {$rootNodeName eq "form"}]
+    #:msg form=$value
+    if {$value eq ""} {
+      #
+      # Support forms which are empty
+      #
+      return 1
+    }
+    #
+    # All other forms must start with a <form> tag.
+    #
+    try {
+      dom parse -simple -html $value doc
+    } on ok {r} {
+      $doc documentElement root
+      set rootNodeName ""
+      if {$root ne ""} {
+        set rootNodeName [$root nodeName]
+      }
+      set ok [expr {$rootNodeName eq "form"}]
+    } on error {errorMsg} {
+      ns_log notice "dom parsed lead to $errorMsg"
+      set ok 0
+    }
+    if {!$ok} {
+      :uplevel {set errorMsg "Form does not start with a <form> tag."}
+    }
+    #ns_log notice "check=form returns $ok"
+    return $ok
   }
 
   ###########################################################