FormBuilder

What about using ADBC?

Michael,

Thanks for pointing-out the use of ADBC for importing data.

ADBC is specific to Acrobat Forms as opposed to XFA Forms. In this article, I was trying to address importing data in Acrobat within an XFA Form (saved as a PDF). ADBC isn't an option in that case.

Ok, I am still not sure how to import data. What is the structure of data file with either tab or comma delimited file needs to look like to be able to import? Is there an automated way to populate the form with 50 names?

Lan,

When importing data from a file into Acrobat, the data must be in an XML format.

If your form is to consume the data that another application created and this data is comma-delimited, you would then have to write an XSL Transformation that, when applied to the data via a data connection created in your XFA form, would transform the comma-delimited data into an XML format that can be consumed by the form's data model.

For instance, you're talking about populating a form with 50 names. Now I there are two obvious possibilities here: You either have 50 fields which each should get a name or you have a list field (such as a list box or a drop down list) and you would like the names to be automatically loaded into the list when the data is imported into the form in Acrobat.

I'll assume you're talking about the latter option of populating a list field. This means that you data must have a repeating data node where each occurrence has a different value (a different name). This way, you can use the Dynamic Properties feature to create the kind of binding you'll need to have the list field automatically populated with all the names when the data is imported into your form:

<data>
  <name>Fred</name>
  <name>Wilma</name>
  <name>Barney</name>
  <name>Betty</name>
</data>

Hi Stefan,

We have been thinking of building a web app using LifeCycle forms and asp.net. Can you give some hints on the best way to prepopulate data on the server side, as well as extract data when client post data.

Best regards,

Rikard

Rikard,

That sounds like an interesting project: LiveCycle and ASP.NET.

As far as pre-populating a form with data, there are a few ways you can do that:

1. You could have a server-side process generate data files that could then be merged into various forms using LiveCycle Forms in order to serve them out to the client application (e.g. Acrobat or a browser using HTML).


2. You could create a data base and have your forms connect to it using an ODBC data connection.


3. You could create an ASP.NET web service and have your forms connect to it using a WSDL data connection.

As far as extracting data submitted via a form, I strongly suggest you have a look at my colleague Steve Tibbett's blog: SteveX. He has a few great articles on data submission via a LiveCycle form.

Hi,

I would just like to add some comments to this discussion.

1 - To merge that with a pdf using, for instance, asp, one could use XFD or a XDP file (the latter one only with the data part). This file could be created on server side, and be given to the client. Because this files can point to a pdf file, the client would open and merge the data onto the pdf file.

2 - ADBC is just for Professional, not for Reader... at least I think so.

Regards,

Sérgio

I know there is a really easy answer to this, but, I need your help!

I am the database administrator for my state. The state is still using Microsoft Access. We are now creating a static form using Adobe Professional. In the form, my boss wants me to link the database tables from Microsoft Access where when the processing assistants enter the info on the form, it automatically saves in the Microsoft Database. Is this possible. I know I can use OLEDB but what is the 1st step to get started.

Lala,

In your comment, you said you "are now creating a static form using Adobe Professional."

Before I go any further, I just want to make sure you're using the Adobe Designer to design this form. This means you probably opened Acrobat Pro, went to the "Advanced | Form | Create New Form..." menu item and opted to create a new form in Adobe Designer.

Is that correct?

If so, then we can talk about creating a data connection to an ODBC data source and then have fields on your form bind to the nodes in the data connection in order to update data in the database in real time.

Hello there,

I am asking the same question about Microsoft Access and Adobe Designer and how to connect them to drop the fields from the table schema into the Designer.

Greetings

malik,

Please check-out the article I just posted on Connecting a Form to a Database. Hopefully this will answer your questions as well as Lala's.