Safest way to populate PDF form

I'm looking at using the CFPDFForm tag to populate a PDF with
sensitive information. I know that I can pull the data from an XML
file or from the db, but was wondering what most of you use (and
why). Also, is it possible to encrypt the data with either method?
And...is it possible for a user to save the PDF to his/her local
drive, disconnect from the Web, and still save the PDF? I'm not
sure if the PDF would (automagically) try to connect to the web
upon the user submitting the PDF form. Thanks for any
insight.

>>>Adobe Reader is opened, but it gives an error that says it cannot locate the PDF that is supposed to be filled. The PDF is located in the same folder as the ASP.NET page, and the XFDF data includes the full URL of the PDF.
What does the line in your .ASPX file that specifies the location of the PDF look like? I think this is where the problem is. It might be a simple syntax error that you missed.

Similar Messages

Populate PDF form with XML data

Although a seemingly simple task, this question has occupied way too much of my time the last week and I am asking the following out of sheer desperation and frustration.
I have a pdf form created with Designer 7.0. I have a separate XML data file to populate the form with. I can test using the preview in Designer and everything looks great. Now, all I want to do is deploy this pdf to a standard web server (IIS, Windows) such that any visitor to the site (using Reader) is able to open it/view it/print it, with the data there. That's it.
This was easily accomplished using Acrobat 6 by creating an ASP page that output an FDF file which referenced the PDF. Not so with the latest version.
I have downloaded three separate several hundred page documents that do not explain how to accomplish this task simply. So to summarize:
1. Does this task *require* a separate piece of software (Document Server) that was not required before?
2. If Document Server is not required, what are the steps to publish the pdf file and reference the data file?
Please help, extraordinarily frustrated :-(.

Ravinder, were you actually able to get your PDF Document (Form) to load with data? I have not been able to get my .NET page to populate my PDF document - the PDF loads in my Browser but has no data. If you can post sample code that you were able to get to work, it would be appreciated, or if you notice something wrong with my code below, please let me know. Also, when my PDF document loads in my browser, I am prompted to "Open or Save" my .xdp file and if I click "Open", my PDF Form loads, but the fields are not populated. How do I stop this prompt from loading? I don't want the user(s) to be able to see this. My .NET page and XML file are listed below: ------------------------- .NET ----------------------------------- Imports System.Text Imports System.IO Public Class WebForm1 Inherits System.Web.UI.Page #Region " Web Form Designer Generated Code " 'This call is required by the Web Form Designer. <System.Diagnostics.DebuggerStepThrough()> Private Sub InitializeComponent() End Sub 'NOTE: The following placeholder declaration is required by the Web Form Designer. 'Do not delete or move it. Private designerPlaceholderDeclaration As System.Object Private Sub Page_Init(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Init 'CODEGEN: This method call is required by the Web Form Designer 'Do not modify it using the code editor. InitializeComponent() End Sub #End Region Private Sub Page_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load 'Put user code to initialize the page here Dim responseString As New StringBuilder Dim sr As StreamReader Dim xmldata As String Response.ContentType = "application/vnd.adobe.xdp+xml" responseString.Append("<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>") responseString.Append("<?xfa generator='AdobeDesigner_V7.0' APIVersion='2.2.4333.0'?>") responseString.Append("<xdp:xdp xmlns:xdp='http://ns.adobe.com/xdp/'>") responseString.Append("<xfa:datasets xmlns:xfa='http://www.xfa.org/schema/xfa-data/1.0/'>") responseString.Append("<xfa:data xfa:dataNode='dataGroup'>") sr = File.OpenText("c:\\inetpub\\wwwroot\\PDFFiller\\TestForm_data.xml") xmldata = sr.ReadToEnd() sr.Close() responseString.Append(xmldata) 'responseString.Append("<form1>") 'responseString.Append("<txtFirstName>Homer</txtFirstName>") 'responseString.Append("<txtLastName>Simpson</txtLastName>") 'responseString.Append("</form1>") responseString.Append("</xfa:data>") responseString.Append("</xfa:datasets>") responseString.Append("<pdf href='http://localhost/PDFFiller/TestForm.pdf' xmlns='http://ns.adobe.com/xdp/pdf/' />") responseString.Append("<xfdf xmlns='http://ns.adobe.com/xfdf/' xml:space='preserve'>") responseString.Append("<annots/>") responseString.Append("</xfdf>") responseString.Append("</xdp:xdp>") Response.Write(responseString) Response.Flush() Response.End() End Sub End Class ----------------------End .NET ----------------------------------- --------- XML (TestForm_data.xml) -------------------------------- <form1><txtFirstName>Homer</txtFirstName><txtLastName>Simpson</txtLastName></form1> ----------------------End XML -----------------------------------

Populate pdf form after user enters specific customer id

I am brand new to this and need to know the best way to populate certain fields on a pdf form. I have made the database connection and it works correctly. I want the user to enter a specific customer id. ( I already have the sql code for the select). When the user hits enter, I want other fields to be populated with address, etc. I am not using any kind of drop down box. Please help me with this.

Try the Developers/SDK forum...
This forum is for questions about the PDF Language itself.
Leonard

Populate PDF Forms

I would like to populate one pdf form with multiple sets of
data and create one finished pdf form. I have a pdf form that was
designed to create a one page letter. I brought the pdf into Adobe
LiveCycle Designer and inserted interactive fields for population
inside of ColdFusion. I have written a ColdFusion program to
populate my form using <cfpdfform action="populate">. This
was successful. If I merge one set of data 1 receive 1 pdf output.
If I want to loop through multiple sets of data, I receive multiple
pdf outputs. What I would like to receive, is one pdf with multiple
pages of populated forms. How can I accomplish this.

Try the forum for LiveCycle Designer.

Create and populate pdf forms from a xml file for follow up information

Forgive my amateurishness, I have a simple .xml that was created with excel with name, address, date of service, age, dob, account #, unit, and business name. I need a form to be pre-populated with the .xml data but have other fields (mainly Yes/No check boxes) that need to be populated by other users. This users would then finish filling out the form and return it to me via email. I have created the form in LC Designer ES2 and created it with Acrobat Pro X. However when I attempt to import data I can only see the first .xml record. So my question is, how do I create multiple .pdf forms for each .xml record? Do I need to use Java within LC Designer? Or use Adobe Pro? I am not afraid to attempt to code, (I have many excel programs that batch print to .pdf using vb).
Thank you in advance

Try the forum for LiveCycle Designer.

Help... Populate pdf form fields with html form inputs.

I have a website that allows users to choose the pdf document they want and create. After selecting which pdf they want to create they are redirected to a web page with a html form. The html form has questions that corresponds with the the form fields of the pdf document the user selected. When submitted the code (ASP, PHP whatever is the easier) runs a script that populates the pdf document form fields. The user is then prompted if they want to save or open the document. The newly created pdfs and the user inputs do not need to be saved on the server.
I create the pdf templates using PDF 6.0 professional
Server can be windows or linux
I understand ASP a little but will use whatever is feasible
Purchasing a program is okay as long as its reasonable and is changeable by me and I have full control.
Any help would be appreciated...
Thanks,
John

Try the Developers/SDK forum...
This forum is for questions about the PDF Language itself.
Leonard

How can i populate pdf form with access report data

i am trying to make a report electronicly signable. my report is compiled weekly from an access database and i need a way to make it signable. if i can export records from access to an existing pdf would be great. or maybe there is a way to get a signature block put in on the fly? got any ideas?

i am trying to make a report electronicly signable. my report is compiled weekly from an access database and i need a way to make it signable. if i can export records from access to an existing pdf would be great. or maybe there is a way to get a signature block put in on the fly? got any ideas?

How do I programatically pre-populate pdf form?

I would like to merge a xml document into a pdf file programatically (php). Is this possible, or is Adobe LifeCycle server a requirement?

If the author of the form allows it, forms can be filled out in Adobe Reader. That's assuming of course they are "real" forms with data input fields, not just graphical pages that emulate printed forms. If they are proper forms, you will need to use the current version of Adobe Reader/ Acrobat or else form fields may not appear or be ignored e.g. by the built-in PDF handler in Google Chrome.
Mylenium

Is there a way to rename PDF form fields without worrying about having all the right fonts?

I'm trying to merge data into an IRS form... for some reason, they duplicated the names for a few fields which causes a problem with merging.
I've installed Acrobat X and tried to edit the form in LiveCycle, but I don't have all the fonts, so I can't do it correctly without altering the IRS form.
Can someone point to a right tool to do a simple rename of a few form field names?
Thanks in advance!

The field names don't have anything to do with fonts, but you might be better off asking in the LiveCycle Designer forum.

Merge data and flaten a PDF form.

I am working for the first time on using ColdFusion to populate PDF forms.
I have a simple PDF form I created with my Acrobat 9 Pro tool. Using the following code, pretty much straight from the documentation, I can easily populate the fields in the PDF with data and save a new PDF file with that data.
<cfpdfform
 source="#getDirectoryFromPath(getCurrentTemplatePath())#QP-ExpiringLetter.pdf"
 destination="#getDirectoryFromPath(getCurrentTemplatePath())#test.pdf"
 action="populate">
 <cfpdfformparam name="bus_name" value="123 PEST CONTROL">
 <cfpdfformparam name="bus_address" value="1234 MAIN STREET">
 <cfpdfformparam name="bus_city_state_zip" value="HOMETOWN, CA 98765">
</cfpdfform>
But the file is still a "Form" file with the fields editable. I do not want this. I want a static PDF file with the fields filled in with the data I provided. Looking at the documentation, it seems the <CFPDF...> tag has functionality to flatten such form files and do what I want. What I can not find documentation for, or guess at, is HOW to combine these two tags. I know I could work with a PDF variable in the <CFPDF...> tag, but I see no way to capture the output of the <CFPDFFORM...> tag into such a variable, I can only send the output to the browser or a file.
Is that the only way to do this? Send the output to a file, then read that file with the <CFPDF...> tag to flatten it to another file? That seems a bit IO overhead heavy for what I feel should be able to be done in memory with just one file write.
TIA
Ian

It looks like I am back to square one.
DDX is part of the Life Cycle tool set. As Far As I know, I am not working with Life Cycle here.
cfpdfform
Description
Manipulates existing forms created in Adobe® Acrobat® and Adobe® LiveCycle® Designer
I created my sample form with Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro Version 9.4.4. Does that mean I have an Acrobat or a LiveCycle form?
ColdFusion supports two types of interactive forms: forms created in
Adobe Acrobat 6.0 or earlier, and forms created in Adobe LiveCycle. In
Adobe Acrobat Professional and Standard 7.0, Adobe introduced Adobe®
LiveCycle® Designer for creating PDF forms.
And if I do have a LiveCycle form, what or how do I get a DDX version of it?

Is there any part of a PDF Form that is ignored when digitally signing?

I'm building a simplified workflow process using PDF forms. Users would add a Submit button to a form that posted to an internal web service, which would add the forms to an internal document system for further processing.
Part of the process involves subsequent users in the workflow opening the forms and adding additional signatures, then submitted them back into the system.
I'm trying to find a way to identify PDF forms that have already been submitted vs. new forms that have not been seen before. I'd like to add an internal identifier (flag, ID value, something) to the PDF the first time we see it. But, I need to make sure not to invalidate the existing signatures. I don't want to change any of the form fields, or the visual content, or any other user-facing aspect of the PDF itself; I'm looking more for, say, a custom property, or new keyword, or something.
Is there any portion of a PDF that does not get considered as "part" of the form when applying and validating the digital signatures?

Yeah I kinda figured that... Really too bad. Seems lke it should be possible somehow. Anyway, do you all have any suggestions about the best way to combine a static form that is really just text fields and such (that comments and markup tools can be used in) with another page that is sections of narrative that would need to be able to flow?
Or better yet, a way to draw lines on to a form without using the comment and markup function?
I like your idea about connecting two forms - but I need to keep the final product as simple as possible. Once the user fills it out, they would be to be able to submit it and it show up as one file, even if that is just a flat file. I don't expect you all to tell me how to do this, but it would be nice to know its possible before I commit to the project and research. Thanks in advance.

InDesign equivalent of LiveCycle's "Image Field" in PDF form creation?

LiveCycle has a PDF form field called "Image Field". We add this field to the PDF files we create so that our end users can select and import a JPEG image into their PDF document using Adobe Reader.
Now we would like to use InDesign to produce the same PDF form files as an alternative to using LiveCycle. Does InDesign have a PDF form field like LiveCycle's "Image Field"? We haven't found it yet.
In other words, does someone know in InDesign how to create a field in PDF forms which has the same functionality as LiveCycle's "Image Field"? LiveCycle's field works in enabled Adobe Reader files, and permits JPEG format, among others.
Thank you,
Kevin
P.S. We discovered a way to create PDF forms in Adobe Acrobat Pro XI with similar functionality by using JavaScript, but the Acrobat Pro created documents only permit Adobe Reader to import PDF files, not JPEG or other image formats. So Adobe Acrobat Pro XI was not a viable alternative to LiveCycle for creating our PDF files. We'd like to know if we need to rule out InDesign, too.

It's worth separating out the different responsibilities and products.
Whether a functionality exists in Reader depends on the Acrobat team. Reader, being free, is limited by design, the aim of the design being to sell copies of Acrobat. Obviously, Reader can't make PDFs or do preflighting. Less obviously, there are a bunch of JavaScript functions that don't work. Sometimes, with Reader enabling, more functions become available. (There are different kinds of Reader enabling, some of which need very expensive extra products).
Whether a form capability exists at all is largely down to the PDF specification (now an ISO standard) or the XFA specification. Adobe can choose to go beyond the specification but largely choose not to.
So, the InDesign team can make form fields, not because the Acrobat team approves, but because the way this is done is written down in the PDF Specification. InDesign _could_ choose to make XFA forms, but thank goodness that will never happen.
So, if you want InDesign forms to do something you first have to ask: can Acrobat forms to this. NOT XFA (LIveCycle forms) which are done by a different team to different rules. So far as I know Acrobat forms cannot do the sort of thing you want; that is, placing arbitrary graphics, but in certain circumstances they can place PDF files.
Why make the distinction?
- If Acrobat can make forms that do this, then so can InDesign: it's worth asking the InDesign people to do it.
- If Adobe limit Adobe Reader, there is no use asking the InDesign team to solve this.
- If Acrobat can't make forms that do this, then nor can InDesign.

PDF form with line printer

Hi,
Is there a way to use PDF form with line printer? how, and the pros & cons. Currently we are using SPF to develop pdf form in sap, however it has limitation to print on line printer that we need to print on 3 ply form. The only option is to convert all PDF form to sap script.
If you have any ideas, please advise. Thanks.

Hi courtneyp58664902,
I would recommend you to follow the steps detailed on the page associated with this link (http://wwwimages.adobe.com/content/dam/Adobe/en/products/acrobat/pdfs/adobe-acrobat-xi-con vert-forms-into-fillable-pdf-c… ).
I would recommend you to Save the pdf with reader rights enabled [ File -> 'Save as other' -> 'Reader extender PDF' -> 'Enable More tools ( includes form fill-in and save)' ].
Please let me know if you face any challenges or need any further assistance.
Regards,
Rahul

Pdf forms and web applications

Hi all,
Can anyone help me regarding the feasibility of using PDF forms in web application such as simple html forms?
As a part of the web application written in php, we have large html forms for collecting data.
pdf reports must be generated based on data entered in forms.
So, 1 filled in form = 1 pdf report. Generating large pdf files from scratch with php script is not fun, and I'd like to figure out if there is some way to use pdf forms created in Adobe LifeCycle as html forms.
So, we would like to publish pdf forms created in LifeCycle as a part of web application, where users fill in this form and in some way we pass form data to php script (upon form submit) for saving it in database and load data back to pdf form once user decides to edit it.
Once form is filled in completely we'd like to print it (and maybe save as separate pdf file containing all filled data).
Please advice, is there any solution for doing something like this, or maybe some other suggestions about simple pdf generation & forms handling in case described above?
Your input would be greatly appreciated.

Yours is not a feature request. It is a question about the functionality of the Livecycle Designer product. Please repost in that forum.

How to Interface a PDF Form to a Third-party Application

There are several ways of interfacing PDF forms to a third party application. The technique you choose depends on a number of factors, including exactly what youre trying to achieve, and the capabilities of the application.
Full details on how to do this can be found here:
http://avokahhh.wordpress.com/2008/04/14/how-can-you-interface-a-pdf-form-to-a-third-party -application/
Regards,
Tineke Osten - Avoka
www.avoka.com

Try to use Runtime.exec() method like this:
String exePath = "path to acrobat reader executable";
String filePath = "path to the file to execute";
Runtime.getRuntime().exec(exePath+" "+filePath);

Safest way to populate PDF form

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