Does the FDF toolkit work with Acrobat 7? 1

[csphard]

I have an app that uses fdf to populate pdf forms. My user wants to upgrade or forms to use some features of Acrobat 7.

I am having a problem when the new forms. I was wondering is there anything I should know about FDF and Acrobat 7?

Thanks

 

[samaba]

Acrobat 6 and prior versions create forms with "Acro Form" tools, all based in Javascript.

Acrobat 7 can still use the "Acro Form" method. However, the new default form type in 7 is "Live Cycle Designer" forms, which are based on XML.

7 forms can export the data as HTML, FDF, XFDF (XML based fdf), or the entire PDF.

I sure this will create as many questions as it answers, so I hope it helped a little.

Cheers,
Samaba

 

[csphard]

I looked at the form and went to the form properties in adobe designer.
I changed:
default locale to viewew's system local
scripting default languae to JavaScript
default Run at Client

Its still not working.

I appreciate your help.

Your are saying look at how this new form expects to be written to. I will continue looking at the defaults.

Thanks

 

[samaba]

My user wants to upgrade or forms to use some features of Acrobat 7."

Which new features are they specifically wanting to use?

Many of the NEW features are not backwards compatible.

Your application may need to change it's format of data from fdf to xfdf. . .

Samaba

 

[csphard]

We are trying to add the bar code feature.

I want to create a bar code field which I will populate
using fdf.

Thanks

 

[samaba]

Which barcode type?
Samaba

 

[csphard]

We are using pdf 417. However my user just pick that one
We could have used 3 of 9. I am learning when it comes to this. I am trying to look at the bar code as a field and if that is right then accessing it should be no different.

What to use is up in the air. Could you make a suggestion.

I appreciate the help.

Thanks

Howard

 

[csphard]

Some more information.

We populate an evaluation form using fdf. I would like to add a bar code field to it and populate that with the employee number.


Thanks

 

[samaba]

Howard,
You are correct that a barcode is a field, and it has properties you can set.

However, the PDF417 in LiveCycle Forms is special. It contains all of the form field data, so re-entry is not needed; scanning the barcode is equivilant to typing all of the field names and field values. It is called a 2D barcode. If you use this type of barcode on your form - the user MUST be using Acrobat or Reader version 7. No previous version of reader can handle this type of barcode. Also, to scan the barcode later, you will need to purchase the "decoder" from Adobe. They are encrypted so that you will need an adobe server to read the data.

PDF 417 barcodes are not this way in all programs - just in Livecycle Designer - Adobe uses LiveCycle Designer with many of its server products.

The other barcode types should work and act as you would expect them to.

We have chosen the Code 128. It seems to print okay on most lasers, and scans with most scanners. I haven't had the oportunity to work with many others, so if someone else would like to offer more information on them, I would also be interested in pros and cons of them.

Cheers,
Samaba

 

[csphard]

My question is how did you place it on the pdf form.

Did you put it on the form after its was printed? We want to generate the form an the barcode.

acrobat 7 is not it.
I can reinstall acrobat 6 but how do you place the bar code on it.

Howard

 

[malan1]

We also have an app that uses fdf to populate pdf forms. After upgrading to version 7 the app is not merging the fdf data with the form. I am interested if csphard solved this condition.
Thanks.

 

[Agarn]

In upgrading to Adobe 7 I found that using ShellExecute from my application to open or print a FDF file returned an Access Denied error (5: SE_ERR_ACCESSDENIED). Double-clicking the file in Windows Explorer worked fine.

A fix for the ShellExecute problem is here:

http://www.planetpdf.com/forumarchive/126650.asp