Query-writer can be used with the form builder. You just fill an array with the attributes/values and call the query writer proc.
The query-writer url api has built in per attribute validation. I'm currently adding multi-attribute validation. It uses the same filters as ad_page_contract. It also automatically does a length check on char/varchar attributes, although now I think there is an ad_page_contract filter that does the same thing.
Using the query-writer url api ensures that the same filters are applied every time an object is created or updated, I think with ad_form you can only ensure this is true for one form.
The query-writer url api is designed to make it easy to handle insert/update/delete of any number of objects in one pass. I'm sure you can do the same with ad_form, but you don't need to write any tcl code with query-writer.
Query writer has flags for each attribute, arranged by group. By default there are Admin and 'registered user' groups. These flags could be used to build forms which only show the attributes (and even only allowed attribute values) on a per group basis. So one form could serve both admin and regular users.
There is nothing to prevent someone from extending query writer with a generic form. Given the object name, operation, and group, you can relatively easily do this. It might be nice if you could pass in a subset of possible fields you want displayed. Query writer already has help fields on a per attribute basis that could be included as well when errors occur.
It is just my opinion that a written down data model is the best documentation of what is possible with a package. Trying to discern/write the data model by reading/writing a bunch of tcl or pl code which creates a table attribute by attribute is impossible for my small brain. I've written and used more generic methods of representing a data model, but they quickly become useless when it is time to figure out how to use it. I also like being able to drop a package and recreate it to see if it installs after I have made changes. Probably you can do this with the cr too.
Most of the stuff I work on isn't what I would consider a content application. But if I needed revisions, and whatever else is on the laundry list of features provided by the cr, I would still look at using it. Query writer is not a content manager.
