[Solved] Creating fillable pdf forms

[robi]

Hi All,

I need to create several forms in pdf that can be filled out and sent back to me.

I have no idea what this is actually called or how to do it in OOO.

I know with Adobe it can be done but no Adobe on my ubuntu laptop

Thanks


Rob

[Hagar Delest]

You can install Acrobat reader on Ubuntu (I did). But you can't save filled in forms with the standard version of Acrobat Reader.
As a workaround, you can fill it in and then print it as PDF again with a virtual printer (like PDFCreator).
So first make the form with Writer and the forms toolbars, then export it to PDF and make users fill it in and print it with a virtual printer.

Please add '[Solved]' at the beginning of your first post title (edit button) if your issue has been fixed.

[robi]

Thanks Hagar.

Will they be able to open it and use the file on their WIN machines?

Now, all I have to do is figure out how to make the actual form....

Robi

[Villeroy]

Will they be able to open it and use the file on their WIN machines?

That depends on their ability to install and understand a virtual pdf printer.

[robi]

well, I could create a basic form but I cannot save it once it is filled in.... is there a way around this?

See, I want to be able to have many, many, many forms filled in and the data saved... I suppose it is not pdf forms that I really need so if you can point me to sg more appropriate I would appreciate it.

thanks

robi

[Hagar Delest]

well, I could create a basic form but I cannot save it once it is filled in.

That's exactly what I told you.
Once the form has been filled in, print it to a virtual printer like PDFCreator (there are other possibilities, google for more hints). Print the form to another PDF file. This time the fields will contain what you've put.

The only drawback is that the form has to be filled at once. You can't save it not completed to resume later.

[robi]

Sorry, I meant to say I was able to create a pdf, just like you said. Thanks for the tips...

I think part of my problem is terminology. I do not actually know what virtual printer/printing means. I will google it.

robi

[Hagar Delest]

A virtual printer is an application that produces a PDF. There are several possibilities like PDFCreator. It behaves like a printer but saves a file instead.

Please add '[Solved]' at the beginning of your first post title (edit button) if your issue has been fixed.

[Villeroy]

This is what I tried:
Created a form in Writer using the form control tool bar [attached PDF_Form.odt]
Exported as pdf. menu:File>Export with PDF form option checked [the attached PDF_Form.pdf]
Opened the pdf with my tiny pdf viewer "Evince" of my Linux distribution.
Filled out the form.
Saved a copy (Evince menu:File>Save As) [attached PDF_Form2.pdf]

As you can see in the second pdf file the filled out form has been stored.
My tiny pdf viewer seems to be too simple for the full functionality. It does not support the option buttons. The calendar control and the numeric field behave like ordinary text boxes. The list box and the multi-line text box work as expected.

[robi]

A virtual printer is an application that produces a PDF. There are several possibilities like PDFCreator. It behaves like a printer but saves a file instead.

Please add '[Solved]' at the beginning of your first post title (edit button) if your issue has been fixed.

I just did this

sudo aptitude install cups-pdf


and now it works... thanks!

Robi

[aqualung]

My tiny pdf viewer seems to be too simple for the full functionality. It does not support the option buttons.

My huge bloatware Adobe Reader 10.1.0 cannot handle everything, either. It supports

• single line text input field
  multi line text input field
  radio buttons
  list box (but you have to click on it and then respond to a warning dialog first and then the un-selected (un-highlighted) options still show)

and does not support

• calendar field
  number field (but you can still enter ordinary text in both).

Also, the yellow grid dots on the purple background disappear, leaving only the purple background.

Conclusion: The forms feature in OOo is best used to produce .odt files only, for processing in OOo only. This will ensure fidelity but limit circulation to recipients with OOo installed already. For wider circulation, to people with Adobe Reader (or equivalent) but not OOo, careful advance testing is required to ensure that forms work as intended for everyone.