AOnce the user fills out the PDF-based form, the data can be submitted to the server for

processing. Data
can be submitted from a PDF form in either FDF (Forms Data Format) or HTML. Data can only be
imported into a PDF form if it is in FDF format. The FDF format is a simple text file that has a structure
based on the PDF file format.

An issue that can be confusing for developers working with FDF is that an FDF file cannot open a PDF and
dynamically add a page to it. An FDF file can either dynamically assemble a PDF document from
Templates and fill in the form fields, or, open a PDF file and fill in the form fields, but cannot do both. The
difference is subtle, yet significant. For this reason using the methods FDFSetFile and FDFAddTemplate,
when constructing a single FDF file, will create an invalid FDF file.

way to import FDF or create form fields using OLE Automation.

When exporting FDF, Acrobat 3.0 computes a relative path from the location the FDF is being stored, to
the location the Form is in, and uses that as the value of the F key in the FDF dictionary.

A plug-in to Acrobat Exchange can programmatically import FDF data into a PDF file from a local file
system using the HFT made available by the Forms plug-in. For more information, see the "Acrobat Form
Plug-In HFT Specification" and the "Acrobat Core API Overview". There is currently no

user with Acrobat Exchange and the Acrobat Forms Author Plug-in can fill in and submit forms to a
server. The Acrobat viewer must be running inside a browser to submit the data via the World Wide Web.
It is also possible to submit the data to a "mailto:" address to put the FDF data in an e-mail.

With Acrobat 3.0, when importing an FDF that came back as a result of a SubmitForm action, if the Form
currently being displayed is not the one specified in the F key of the FDF dictionary (which is an optional
key), then that Form is first fetched, and then the FDF gets imported.
 ENERATION CYCLE
User input required User input NOT required
Web Browser Web Browser
running Exchange running Exchange
Acrobat
Form
New
PDF

2) FDF returns 4) New document

template info 2 4 is assembled from
to browser. PDF s returned by
server. Fields are
User input NOT required populated.

1) FDF or urlencoded
data sent to server. 1 3
3) PDF
Templates
CGI APP requested
Web Browser from server.
running Exchange

WEB SERVER WEB SERVER

Acrobat
Form
PDF TEMPLATES

Introduction
Pre-requisites
Readers are assumed to know the following:

The process of creating form fields and buttons, and modifying their properties.
To take full advantage of the capabilities of Acrobat Forms, a knowledge of FDF is required.

FDF is described in an appendix of the Portable Document Format Reference Manual.

The Acrobat Forms Author lets you define a page(s) in your PDF document as a template(s), which can
then be used to generate, or spawn, new duplicate PDF pages on the fly. Templates provide powerful
form capabilities in three main ways:

Templates allow the user to fill out as many form pages as needed, spawning additional pages
(complete with new form fields) on- the- fly. See the Acrobat Forms JavaScript Objects Specification for
information on defining an action that spawns new pages.

If you are generating a form by importing data from a database, you can spawn as many pages as
needed to contain different quantities of data.

You can use template pages as button icons in another form by invoking the template names from
an FDF file.
TIPS

You can use a URL that is relative to the Acrobat Form from which the submit action took place.
For radio buttons and checkboxes, pass true for the last parameter.
You can use this call to cause an alert to pop up at the client.
SetValue
Use this API to have the FDF point to the PDF that it is for.
This call is mutually exclusive with AddTemplate.
If the submit occurred from an HTML form, you must use an absolute URL.
Use it only if the Acrobat Form from which the submit action took place is not the one that the FDF is
for.
If you use this API (to change the options for a listbox or combobox), make sure you also call SetValue.
SetOpt
You can create a "status" field in your form that has no border and no background color, and is read-
only, and it will be invisible until some text is written to it via FDF.
The newValue parameter must be either Off (to uncheck the checkbox), or a value that was entered as
the "Export Value" when defining the properties of the field in Acrobat (to check the checkbox or radio
button).
You can use a text field to display a message.
SetStatus
SetFile