Unable to create Menu Item List Buttons in Forms - Not Working!

Question

Hi guys,
I need desperate help since I have been stuck on these for 2 days and I am unable to move forward!!
I am trying to create a pdf form using Acrobat pro 9 and Adobe LiveCycle Designer ES. Since I am new to this, I have been browsing through numerous sites, forums and tutorials to learn about this. So far, I was able to create the forum with text fields, etc.. I am trying to have a column in my pdf form where the users can simply copy & paste image icons here..I was having difficulty with this already and have done numerous searches in google. In the end, I thought I am better off trying to use the "stamp" tool for this instead of image field. So this is what I did:
1) I already placed the image icons (that the users will be copying & pasting) on my pdfs so users can simply click on it to select the image.
2) I added a new bottom to this form which has the short cut to the menu item "copy" function. I labeled this button as 'Copy' and to this button, I added the following javascript for "Mouseup":
app.execMenuItem("CopyFileToClipboard");
3) Next I created another button that I called 'paste' and this button executes the "Paste Clipboard Image as Stamp Tool" menu. This button has the following javascript:
app.execMenuItem("Annots:Tool:StampFromClipboardMenuItem");
I thought that after doing the above, the user should be able to click on one of the images in the pdf, then click on 'copy' button and in the end click on 'paste' button that will then run an action so user can stamp this copied image to where ever they want in that file. But this is not happening!! I dont why?? Nothing happens when these buttons are clicked. I have made sure that the "Extended features in Adobe Reader..." is enabled and also tried running the above javascripts on my console window to test it and i know that the actual javascript code is not at fault since these functions works when I try the code through the debugger window. But I just cannot figure out why these menu item functions are not working when the buttons I had created are clicked!!! I dont know if what I have done is correct or if there is a easier way to achieve what I am trying to do!! Its a shame there is no simpler way for the end-users to copy and paste images to the columns in the pdf forms.
please help me understand why the above button are not working....any help will be great!!

Answer 1

Hi Paul,
This is further to our email correspondence. I am just pasting your email response here since it may be useful to other newbies like me:
"Ok here you go ......I had to add the new row via a script object as the new objects are not completely available until the script ends so I cannot resize the new row from teh current script.
Then when we resize - we have to resize the row, the cells and the image ....we start with all existing subforms then we do it for the new row that was just added.
Lastly I see that you have a delete row button. This will have to be part of the row otherwise we ill not know which row the user will want to delete .....unless you ask them (which is not good UI design)."
I was really impressed the way you modified the script so the table height does not change when new rows are added. That did help me in understanding the methods and it will certainly be v useful to me in the future. I have been practicing and getting a hang of LS and I have actually decided to redesigned my form since it appears that trying to have a fixed table height is quite a bit of work each time a row is added, removed or changed, etc... Your advise so far have been v helpful and it has helped me in redesigned the form into a different layout. So far so good...However, I just have a few more clarifications regarding some hurdles I am facing:
PS: I have emailed you a sample of my new form now so you can have a look at it.
1) Dynamic Image fields:
In this form, I have a subform that has a dropdown list and next to this, I have an image field. I want to change the image based on the selection in the dropdown list. I found a few samples and tutorials on this already and I tried 2 different approach for this. One works and the other doesnt.
Method that works: What I have done here is, I added all the images in the form and have put their presence to invisible. Then using the javascript, I am making the image visible based on the selection in the dropdown list. I found this method somewhere through googling and it works.
Method that doesnt work: Its similar to the above, but instead of putting all the images in the form, I just inserted 1 image field and then tried to change the url of this dynamic image based on the selection in the drop down list. But this method is not working. I tried inserting this jscript and nothing happens:
switch (this.rawValue)
case "1":
myImages.value.Image.href=http://www.mysiteaddress.com/blah_blah.jpg;
break;
case "2":
myImages.value.Image.href=http://www.mysiteaddress.com/blah_blah2.jpg;
break;
The 2nd method does not work. Although I know the method 1 above works and I am currently using it, I am just curious to find out why the 2nd method is not working? Did I get the script wrong or is this feature no longer allowed? I just thought that if the second method works fine, it saves the hassle of putting all the images on the form and then making them hidden. Instead, I just need to put one image field and then dynamically change its image based on the selection. I hope this make sense..please advise..
2) Changing the background colour of the Dropdown list box:
I am trying to change the bg colour of the listbox in the dropdown list object (only the listbox bg color and not the whole background color). So, I added the following script to the mouseEnter event and this works:
var vName = this.somExpression;
var fieldObj = xfa.resolveNode(vName + ".ui.#choiceList.border.fill.color");
fieldObj.value = "255,255,225";
My Problem: The above script works so I dont need to change anything there. But, I also want to add another script to the mouseExit event to change the fill color to its default once the mouse leaves the dropdown lists. Initially, this field has no fill colour and the border fill style is none. The fill color is only added during the mouseEnter event. How do I change the bg color fill back to none during mouseExit after the above script is executed on mouseEnter?
(NOTE: If you see my form, I have used the above scripts for the dropdown list only in "boxSubform[0]".)
3) Changing the length of the Dropdown List box:
I only have about 1.6 inches workspace to add this dropdown list box. However, the length of some lists (list items) in this dropdown list box is actually longer and the remaining part is cut out. So, I added the following script to increase the dropdownlist length and it does not work the way I would have hoped...
The script I have written so far:
I added these to the mouseEnter event and it works fine -
form1.pageSubform.dynamicSubform.Table1.Row1.boxSubform[0].MyDropdown::mouseEnter - (JavaScript, client)
this.w = "2in";  //this is to to increase the width of the dropdown list
I added these to the mouseExit event and it works fine too-
form1.pageSubform.dynamicSubform.Table1.Row1.boxSubform[0].MyDropdown::mouseExit - (JavaScript, client)
this.w = "1.625in";
When I tested the form with the above script, this is what happens:
1) First when you move the mouse over this field, the width increases. Similarly the width decreased when you move away.
2) So, even if this is clicked, the list box is opened with this 2inch width so thats good.
3) There are no problems when the mouse is moved over these list items as well. However, this does not look good when the dropdown list item is clicked with its item lists open and then the mouse leaves this area. In this case, as soon as the mouse leaves this area, the mouseExit script runs and hence it makes the drop down list width to shrink eventhough the list items are still open. How do I resolve this? I was thinking about this and I thought the possible way to overcome this is by writing a javascript for the mouseExit event executing something like this:
if this dropdown list is open,
then  this.w = "2in";
else
this.w = "1.625in";
I am not sure how to write a jscript for the above?
(NOTE: If you see my form, I have used the above scripts for the dropdown list in "boxSubform[0]".)
4) Hiding the alternative row shadowing for hidden columns:
If you check out my form, you can notice that I have put the "close" button (button to delete table rows) on the left column and I have also put its presence to "Visible (screen only)". The parent table has got the 'alternative row shadow' checked. What I notice here is, when this page is printed, eventhough the first column's presence is set to "Visible (Screen Only)", it still prints the row shadow for this column and it looks bad. How can I fix this? Any help will be great!
I have already emailed you my new form again so you can have a look.
Thanks again Paul and I cant thank you enough for your help. I am sooo happy to see such a great support and resources available here since it can be a nightmare for some newbies like me... :-)