Mike Bell wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > mike wrote:
> >
> > >On Sun, Jan 15, 2006 at 05:10:30PM -0500,
Chuck Stickelman wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >>Henry Keultjes wrote:
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>>I will go with those answers, that it
can be done and, if necessary,
> > >>>Mike could probably show me an
application at Miami Systems.
> > >>>
> > >>>The key is what Chuck mentioned, that
the "master" is in one file
> while
> > >>>the fill data is in another file so
that there is a minimal need for
> > >>>storing data because the master is
stored once while the fill-in
> can be
> > >>>stored many times.
> > >>>
> > >>>However, the software has to be Open
Source so that there are no
> > >>>licensing isssues. Isn't there an Open
Source alternative to Acrobat?
> > >>>
> > >>>Henry
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>There are many Open-Source PDF viewers.
However, I'm not sure that
> > >>there are any that support FDF/XFDF data
files... Though anyone can
> > >>download and use Acrobat Reader... while
that's not Open Source it's
> > >>also not much of a problem... (How many
applications distribute
> Acrobat
> > >>Reader with their products...!?)
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >
> > >I don't know of any Open source PDF viewers
that support PDF forms in
> > >any way. I belive xpdf may have limited
javascript support, this isn't
> > >what is needed though. To this day if you want
to use PDF forms your
> > >locked into Adobe. Period. Atleast on the *nix
side. There are some
> > >shareware tools on M$ that can extend what
little you can do in Acrobat
> > >reader. Such as actually save out the data
that you put into a form.
> > >
> > >Some days I think that Adobe is either
following M$ or they are in bed
> > >with them. Of course it could be that there
simply isn't enough demand
> > >for an OSS solution to PDF forms. The
implimentation details in all
> > >their gory detail are available from Adobe.
1100 or 1200 pages plus for
> > >the 1.5 specs. That doesn't even cover all the
forms stuff either,
> > >in in another few hunderd pages of specs.
> > >
> > >As of Acrobat 7 there is a new specification
and once again the forms
> > >submission mechanism has changed. I've yet to
read a favorable
> > >response to the new forms stuff.
> > >
> > >It should be noted that you can create PDF
forms with Scribus. I've
> > >done some with it. The results haven't been
that great for me. Keep
> > >in mind though that I'm far for any kind of
graphic artist type.
> > >Also even though I've pulled off a few things
with PDF forms I still
> > >consider myself at beginner level, considering
the weight of the PDF
> > >specs.
> > >
> > >Mike
> > >
> > Here's something that someone with a bit more time
mght want to explore.
> > OpenOffice.org can create PDFs. It can also be
used to create XML Forms.
> > Questions:
> >
> > 1. If you create an XML Form and then export the
file to a PDF does
> > it make a fillable-for PDF? (Initial answer: Yes!)
> > 2. Can the data in the fillable-form PDF be saved
in an xternal file?
> > 3. If so, what is the format of the data file?
> >
> > (Knowing the OOo folks and their adoption of
standards I'd venture a
> > guess that it'd be XML -- even if it didn't
conform to the XFDF format
> > it'd only take a bit of XSL-T work to manipulate
it... probabbly
> > something OOo could handle...)
> >
> > Now, here's what I'd recommend:
> >
> > 1. Create an XML form in OOo.
> > 2. Add some logic (JavaScript?) to the form for
data manipulation.
> > 3. Export the form as PDF.
> > 4. Use Acrobat Reader to test the results.
> > 5. Let us know what you found...
> >
> > Chuck
> >
> This looks like something to persue..
>
> In the first list, item 2, how can you save the data?
Acrobat Reader
> doesn't have this ability that I'm aware of. Maybe if
you print to
> file? Would imagine that this gives you *all* of the
for though not
> just the fdf/xfdf.
>
> Mike
Hooking the Print feature might also be a way to do this...
getting the
data to be the only thin printed, would be the first step.
Formatting
it as XML, the second...
You could also save the data by adding a button to the form
(with a bit
of JavaScript, perhaps...) (You can also make the button not
show up
when the form is printed.) OOo seems to support what would
be needed to
get at the data, though you might have to feed it to a CGI
of some
sort... Though I have played games like this to get output
to a file...
part of the CD-ROM project  Miami Systems...
(Mike: I think one of the Graphics Artists (Darren) created
some PDF
Forms for data gathering for Chuck Leemaster's group. I'd
guess they
are still floating around soemwhere in Shelby... maybe on a
dead MAC's
hd...)
Anyway, you CAN use a PDF for data collection. I just don't
know how...
yet... Someone enlighten me!
Chuck
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