The purpose of javascript in Acrobat

Is there anyway to reach the content of the pdf with javascript?
I would like to traverese the pdf with javascript, search for tag names and replace that tag with a form field. Or even better change the text of differnt tags in the pdf depenig on values in a form field..
Like having a button in HTML/Javascript reaching the doom tree of the HTML document and replacing text in some HTML tags.
Is this posible our should I look at javascript like a new layer on top of the PDF with no way to reach the structure of the document without manually placing form fields??
I have search every where for some information about this, but all I have found is that javascript cant have any access to the content of the PDF unless there is a form field (manually placed in the PDF in Acrobat).
Do anyone have experience in this subject?

A plugin can do it. You can ask about it here:
http://forums.adobe.com/community/acrobat/acrobat_sdk

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I need to set up an expense form so that our consultant can "filter" by customer type, program type, and finally the purpose of the trip. For instance: the customer types are churches, schools, organizations. The program type would be fund raising, gift p

I need to set up an expense form so that our consultant can "filter" by customer type, program type, and finally the purpose of the trip. For instance: the customer types are churches, schools, organizations. The program type would be dependent on the customer type selection from the first list. Some examples would be: fund raising, gift planning, surveys, and others. The purpose of the trip would be dependent on the program type selected from the second list. Some examples of trip purposes would be: presentation, design, prospecting. Further, the purpose of trip selection from the third drop-down box would then have to determine the values of other fields by expense type: such as commission, airfare, hotel. etc. I've tried pop-up menu but can't figure out how to "select" from the final popup list and have it populate a field for the purpose of the trip. I've tried to look at the JavaScript examples for dependent drop-down boxes, but can't find any that quite fit what I'm trying to accomplish. I am very new to all of this. No training in writing Javascripts - just trying to wing it. The form has to be very simple for our consultants to use, but also give our office the detail we need to process through the correct account numbers. I would appreciate any detailed step-by-step instructions - kind of a javascript for dummies type of info. HELP!

An AcroForm is the name given to the type of PDF form that you create in Acrobat. An XFA form is the type of form that you create in LiveCycle Designer. Although they are both PDF files, they are very different structurally and have significant;y different scripting models. So pay attention to the information on AcroForms and ignore anything about XFA. Be sure to get the sample PDF forms so you can look at how it works and where the scripts are placed.
What you want to do will require scripting, and if you don't have the experience and are unable to use the information in the tutorials to create what you want, you might consider getting someone who has experience do this for you. I'll often suggest code if I can do so quickly, but what you want requires more than a few minutes.

Need Help Running a JavaScript in Acrobat Pro 4

How does one run a JavaScript in Acrobat Pro 4? I know it is an old version, but does someone still know?

Ok, I have figured out how to run a JavaScript file. What is wrong with the following code - are these commands not supported in Acrobat 4?
app.addMenuItem({ cName: "Collate Document", cParent: "Tools", nPos: 0, cExec: "collate()"});
Title: Collate Document
Purpose: User is prompted to select document to insert/collate.
Author: Sean Stewart, ARTS PDF, www.artspdf.com
function collate()
this.insertPages (0,"scan0002.pdf", 0);
// create an array to use as the rect parameter in the browse for field
var arRect = new Array();
arRect[0] = 0;
arRect[1] = 0;
arRect[2] = 0;
arRect[3] = 0;
// create a non-visible form field to use as a browse for field
var f = this.addField("txtFilename", "text", this.numPages - 1, arRect);
f.delay = true;
f.fileSelect = true;
f.delay = false;
// user prompted to select file to collate the open document with
app.alert("Select the PDF file to merge with; this should be the odd-numbered pages:")
// open the browse for dialog
f.browseForFileToSubmit();
var oddDocPath = f.value;
var halfOfPages = this.numPages;
// insert pages from selected document into open document
for (var i = 0;i < halfOfPages; i++) {
this.insertPages(halfOfPages-i, evenDocPath, i);
// remove unused field
this.removeField("txtFilename");

Javascript in Acrobat 9.0 Standard

I am trying to find my way through running Javascript in Acrobat. I have a sample PDF I downloaded from the web (acrotips6006.pdf) which has embedded Javascript. It has buttons which allows you to connect to a database a populate a form with data from the database.
My question is simply how can I see the Javascript which is embeddedin the PDF. I've had little luck finding where to go to see the script (the documentation says the code is contained in one Document Level Javascript).
Thank you.

The last post was based on AA5. On my tablet with AA7, the document level JavaScript needed is located under Advanced>JavaScript>Document JavaScripts. There are the same 6 scripts listed for your example (found at PlanetPDF). I am listing the Connect script below:
function Connect()
try
    app.alert("Attempting Connection ...");
    dbConn = ADBC.newConnection(dbName);
    if(dbConn == null)
     throw "Error connecting to AcroTips";
    stmtObj = dbConn.newStatement();
    // Execute the SQL statement inside the database
    stmtObj.execute(sqlToExecute);
    // Move the Result Set to the First Record Found
    stmtObj.nextRow();
    // The current row object
    rowObj = stmtObj.getRow();
    // Insert the values of the first Row of data into the
    // form field values.
    FillForm(rowObj);
    // Let the user know that a connection was made.
    app.alert("Connected to AcroTips");
catch(exc)
    console.println(exc);
    throw "Unable to Connect to Database";
It looks interesting, but discussing the scripts is probably more appropriate in the scripting forum. I was trying to help identify the location. I assume it is a similar location name in AA9, but Adobe seems to be good at moving menu items around.

What are the benefits from upgrading from Acrobat 9 Pro Extended to Acrobat11 Pro?

What are the benefits from upgrading from Acrobat 9 Pro Extended to Acrobat11 Pro?

Acrobat is a program used by a wide variety of users for a even wider number of purposes. So if we simply gave you a feature list, that wouldn't be very helpful.
Tell us how you use Acrobat, and what you do with it, and we can suggest improvements that were made in Acrobat X and XI Pro.

How to allowed JavaScript in Acrobat Reader and make it default

Hei,
I want to allowed JavaScript my Acrobat Reader but I have to always go to edit->Preferences and so on... It has to be done all the time when i reboot my computer. Can I some how make default to my reader. (I know that it risk to allowed that but still I want to do it)
Thank you for your help!!

I would try the 'Repair" option, usually under 'Help", and then set the JavaScript option.
If this is an organization installation, check with your IT help desk to see if they have a policy about this issue.

How do I run my JavaScripts in Acrobat X?

I have some JavaScripts that in Acrobat 9 are menu items available in the Tools Menu. In Acrobat X Pro I don't see them. The JavaScripts are in the C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 10.0\Acrobat\Javascripts. How do I runt the scripts in Acrobat X Pro?

The menu item still exist, but is not displayed, but the items on the menu should still be available to JS. You can use the 'exeMenuItem' to run the item to run the hidden item.
You will see the missing executable menu items if you use JS to crate a list of menu items. This will show the menu items that have not been moved to the Tool Well.

Adding current date to text field w/ Javascript in Acrobat 8

I am trying to add the current date to a text field using javascript in Acrobat 8 Professional. I am using the util.printd function in a javascript function but the date of creation shows in the text field, NOT today's date. Any clues??
var f = this.getField("myField");
if (!f.value) f.value = util.printd ("m/d/yyyy", new Date());

Thanks. I've used it also without the empty value check and had the same result of showing the creation date and not the current date.

Creating folders in Javascript for Acrobat

I cannot find a method for creating a folder in Javascript for Acrobat. I know how to do it in InDesign but the same object (i.e. the folder object) does not seem to be available for Acrobat.
I have a multi-page PDF in a folder. I want to create a subordinate folder in the same folder as the PDF and then extract all pages to the subordinate folder in the folder holding the PDF. How do I do that?
In other words:
MyFolder/MyMultiPagePDF.PDF
I create
MyFolder/Extracted/
and then I create
MyFolder/Extracted/PDFPage1.PDF
MyFolder/Extracted/PDFPage2.PDF
MyFolder/Extracted/PDFPage3.PDF
etc.
I know how to do the extraction, but I do not know how to create the folder on the fly using Javascript.
Please help, anyone.
R,
John

Thank you, Mr. Johnson. I appreciate your candor and your quick response.
R,
John

The purpose of the executable permission

Hi,
What is the purpose behind the execute permission of Unix? Because if you can read it, you can always find a way to execute it anyway.
The read and write are pretty obvious.
If you can read a file, even if its execute permission isn't set and you don't have the rights to change the file permissions, you just copy it to your own machine, make it executable, and run it.
What does execute even mean? If it's Brainfuck code, then with read permissions your typical Brainfuck interpreter can execute it, no execute permission needed. Isn't running a Turing complete esoteric programming language considered executing? Or displaying an HTML file with JavaScript code in it...
There's probably something behind the execute permission that I don't know. The only way I come into contact with this permission, is in an annoying way: to enable it because it wasn't enabled already while I want to run it. What good (security) purpose does it serve in practice?
Thanks!

It isn't solely about security. You can execute anything you can read, it's always been this way.
s1gma is right in that it 'helps' shells etc. figure out what to execute
The 2 security aspects I can think of are:
a) You want an executable to be setuid for some user, but you only want people from a specific group to be able to execute it as setuid.
They can still execute it by copying, but the setuid flag gets lost, so they'll be executing it as themselves, rather than the user who owned the original file.
b) Help against "accidental" execution.
For instance, a good reason to mount something 'noexec' is because it might contain binaries from other machines, where you don't know what's going on.
So if you want to execute, you want to specifically get a snapshot of the file at your machine, then check if it's really what you want (sha1/md5 sum etc), then finally execute it - most likely by setting the execute permission, then running it.
Another use for it - in a completely different manner - is for example an init script directory, like you have it in slackware (or at least when I used slackware it worked that way).
Where all init scripts you wanted to start at boot time where simply marked executable, and the others you had to execute by hand using a shell (sh /etc/rc.d/foo start or whatever it used to be.)
Last edited by Blµb (2012-03-24 20:09:10)

Hi, am trying to convert pdf into word. I have 30 days trial, however, everytime i try to convert it's asking to subscribe, Why is that, what is the purpose of the free trial?

Hi, am trying to convert pdf into word. I have 30 days trial, however, everytime i try to convert it's asking to subscribe, Why is that, what is the purpose of the free trial?

Hi oj1,
Since you mention a free trial, I'm guessing that you have an Acrobat trial (Adobe doesn't offer free trials of the Acrobat.com online services).
If you do have Acrobat, you can use the Save As command in that application to save directly to Word format.
Please let us know how it goes.
Best,
Sara

What's a browser compability of JavaScript for Acrobat ?

I have a pdf with two fields that needs to be filled by user.
I am using a Javascript for Acrobat to display a prompt dialog asking user to enter a data. it works pefectly fine on my local computer, but whenever I open it using various browsers I am running into different problems:
Firefox: 20.0.0 No prompt dialog is showing up. Error (warning) message in developer's console: [09:49:17.064] Warning: TODO: unimplemented annotation type: FreeText
Safari: 6.0.4 Certificate is displayed sideways. No prompt dialog is showing up. No errors in the developer's console.
Chrome 26.0.1410.65 : works fine!
Opera 12.15 nothing shows up, no pdf, warning or anything else.
So it doesn't work on 3 out of 4 browsers that I checked.
My pdf is embedded into the following file.
http://uwf.edu/cde/mobileweb/certificate.cfm
Is there a way to make it work on those browsers?

Each of these browsers has its own PDF viewer. Some of them can optionally be set up, by the end user, to use Adobe Reader instead.
(Don't overlook Windows 8 IE10, which defaults to running Windows 8 Reader.)
And don't overlook the mobile browsers on iPad, iPhone, Android...
Now each piece of software works, or doesn't, according to the designs and errors of their own developers. It would be a useful and helpful project if someone compared whether these viewers support interactive forms, and JavaScript, and if so what part works... but I have never seen the results of such a project. There are other pitfalls: Mac Preview, and hence Mac Safari, will fill a form but return a form which appears blank.
You might try insisting that your users use Adobe Reader.

While defining a columnar table, what is the purpose of column store type

Hi folks
I have two questions related to columnar table definition.
1. What is the purpose of column store type.
While defining a columnar table, what is the purpose of column store type (STRING ,CS_FIXEDSTRING,CS_INT etc) , when I define a table using the UI I see that the column is showing STRING but when I goto EXPORT SQL it does not show. Is this mandatory or optional ?
2.VARCHAR Vs. CHAR - In the UI when I create the table I do not see the CHAR option , but I do see lot of discussion where people are using CHAR for defining the columnar table. Not sure why UI dropdown does not show it. I also read that we should avoid using VARCHAR as those columns are not compressed, is that true, I thought the column store gives compression for all the columns. Are there certain columns which cannot be compressed .
Please let me know where I can find more information about these two questions.
Poonam

Hi Poonam
the CS_-data types are the data types that are used internally in the column store. They can be supplied but it is not at all required or recommended to do so.
SAP HANA will automatically use the correct CS_-data type for every SQL data type in your table definitions.
To be very clear about this: don't use the CS_-data types directly. Just stick to the SQL data types.
Concerning VARCHAR vs CHAR: fixed character data types are not supported anymore and don't show up anymore in the documentation.
I have no idea why you believe that VARCHAR columns are not compressed but this is just a myth.
create column table charcompr (fchar char(20), vchar varchar(20));
insert into charcompr (
    select lpad ('x', to_int (rand()*20), 'y'), null from objects cross join objects);
-- same data into both columns
update charcompr set vchar = fchar;
-- perform the delta merge and force a compression optimization
merge delta of charcompr;
update charcompr with parameters ('OPTIMIZE_COMPRESSION' ='FORCE');
-- check the memory requirements
select COLUMN_NAME, MEMORY_SIZE_IN_TOTAL, UNCOMPRESSED_SIZE, COUNT, DISTINCT_COUNT, COMPRESSION_TYPE
from m_cs_columns where table_name ='CHARCOMPR'
COLUMN_NAME    MEMORY_SIZE_IN_TOTAL    UNCOMPRESSED_SIZE   COUNT   DISTINCT_COUNT COMPRESSION_TYPE
FCHAR       3661                    70285738            6692569 20              RLE
VCHAR       3661                    70285738            6692569 20              RLE
We see: compression and memory requirements are the same for both fixed and variable character sizes.
- Lars

Can you please put me in touch with the support for the trial copy of adobe acrobat XI pro which I had tried out on March 15 for 30 days. I have been trying to cancel since the cost is too much and Acrobat Reader is OK for me. I can't find uninstaller.

Can you please put me in touch with the support for the trial copy of adobe acrobat XI pro which I had tried out on March 15 for 30 days. I have been trying to cancel since the cost is too much and Acrobat Reader is OK for me. I can't find uninstaller.
I have had to erase my disk since then with trouble with Apple Store not recognising my machine and the reload from Time Machine has given complications . Can you please cancel my trial and return my Trial money.

If you paid for what you used then it was not a trial.
Look thru the following links and use the chat option if required for your situation:
Cancel your membership or subscription | Creative Cloud
https://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/policy-pricing/cancel-membership-subscription.html
https://forums.adobe.com/thread/1703848
Chat support - For the link below click the Still Need Help? option in the blue area at the bottom and choose the chat option...
Creative Cloud support (all Creative Cloud customer service issues)
http://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/global/service-ccm.html ( http://adobe.ly/19llvMN )
Phone support | Orders, returns exchanges
http://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/global/phone-support-orders.html

How to get page number from the PDF using Javascript

Hi,
We are having list of Single page PDF. The pdf are named in the order,
ISBN_Author_01.PDF (with real page number as i)
ISBN_Author_02.PDF (with real page number as ii)
ISBN_Author_03.PDF (with real page number as iii)
ISBN_Author_04.PDF (with real page number as 1)
ISBN_Author_05.PDF (with real page number as 2)
ISBN_Author_06.PDF (with real page number as 3)
ISBN_Author_nn.PDF (with real page number as 500)
Here each pdf has a page number and in sequential order.
The task is to check whether all the pdfs are in sequential order (i.e i, ii, iii, 1, 2, 3). If any page is missing, the script should throw an error report.
To do this task, I am writing a Javascript to get the real page number from the PDF.
Can anybody help me how to get the page number from the PDF using Javascript.
Thanks,
Gopal

The "real" page number within a PDF is the count of the physical page starting at 0, zero.
pageNum numPages
The number printed on each page is the page label.
setPageLabels getPageLabel
You will have to open each PDF and your script would need to know the page label for that file. I would expect you would need to build a 2 dimensional array of the file names and the page label for the page within that array.

The purpose of javascript in Acrobat

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