Has filled out a pdf form with data from a BO?
I'm guessing I'll have to create as report that generates a fdf file and them merge it with the pdf.
Any ideas?
Thanks
Fill out pdf form
My approach sounds like your idea. Here is what I do:
1.) Open the form, fill it out with dummy data. For example, I type "Contact.FirstName"(or whatever the name of the corresponding AwareIM field) in the name field. Sometimes there is data validation (for example, data fields), which means that I have to keep track of that data separately.
2.) I select menu "Advanced > Forms > Export Data From Form " (Adobe version 7). This gives an XML file.
3.) Now I have an XML file, which I turn into a AwareIM document template by just adding markup (usually just the << and >> around the field names). I import this XML file into AwareIM as a new document template of type HTML file. (TXT document templates might work too).
4.) Tricking things so far: Fields with validation. Parts of PDFs that have variable number of rows. Formating date fields to import correctly.
5.) Now, when I need to fill the original pdf form, I select the document template in AwareIM, which creates the XML file with the data. Then I manually open the form in Adobe and merge in the XML file by selecting "Advanced > Forms > Import Data to Form"
This works well enough for me. I'd like to take this a step further and find some type of command line option that would automatically merge the form and XML file and write the result to disk or DB. But, I have not had time. Mostly, I am concerned about properly filling out forms without data entry errors.
I hope this helps you.
Andrew
1.) Open the form, fill it out with dummy data. For example, I type "Contact.FirstName"(or whatever the name of the corresponding AwareIM field) in the name field. Sometimes there is data validation (for example, data fields), which means that I have to keep track of that data separately.
2.) I select menu "Advanced > Forms > Export Data From Form " (Adobe version 7). This gives an XML file.
3.) Now I have an XML file, which I turn into a AwareIM document template by just adding markup (usually just the << and >> around the field names). I import this XML file into AwareIM as a new document template of type HTML file. (TXT document templates might work too).
4.) Tricking things so far: Fields with validation. Parts of PDFs that have variable number of rows. Formating date fields to import correctly.
5.) Now, when I need to fill the original pdf form, I select the document template in AwareIM, which creates the XML file with the data. Then I manually open the form in Adobe and merge in the XML file by selecting "Advanced > Forms > Import Data to Form"
This works well enough for me. I'd like to take this a step further and find some type of command line option that would automatically merge the form and XML file and write the result to disk or DB. But, I have not had time. Mostly, I am concerned about properly filling out forms without data entry errors.
I hope this helps you.
Andrew
Andrew Lahser
Thanks, Andrew.
My situation calls for filling out a few hundred forms at a time. PHP and Ruby on Rails have better tools for working with pdf forms. I'm going to try building something in RoR that reads from the same database. Then I can call it from within the AwareIM application, possibly saving the completed form back in a BO.
Mike
My situation calls for filling out a few hundred forms at a time. PHP and Ruby on Rails have better tools for working with pdf forms. I'm going to try building something in RoR that reads from the same database. Then I can call it from within the AwareIM application, possibly saving the completed form back in a BO.
Mike
A possible alternative
Mie
Don't know if this will help but in a prior post support's answer 5b mentions the ability to create a plug in to fill in existing pdf forms. I don't know how to make the plug in but it peaked TFord's interested in this feature at the time.
see http://www.awareim.com/forum/viewtopic. ... report+pdf
Don't know if this will help but in a prior post support's answer 5b mentions the ability to create a plug in to fill in existing pdf forms. I don't know how to make the plug in but it peaked TFord's interested in this feature at the time.
see http://www.awareim.com/forum/viewtopic. ... report+pdf