fillable forms

[jamessteadman@adobeforums.com]

I am trying to make a fillable form where i can either save a copy of it using reader and have a copy printed out OR have a copy printed out and submitted to a website so that i could retrieve the filled form. This form will be edited by teachers annually to help with evaluations. i am looking for the easiest way to do this, i thought about e-mail submissions for a bit but decided those weren't the best. I have heard some talk about using a website to host the pdf's and had them submit to a website but every peice of information i find is very vauge on the subject. Does anyone have any advice on how i could get conclusive information (such as a sample script or sample setup) im a newb when it comes to coding for websites but i know my way around enough to build one, i just don't have the skills to build this from scratch.

Any help is much apperciated

James S

[Aandi_Inston@adobeforums.com]

>I am trying to make a fillable form where i can either

>save a copy of it using reader and have a copy printed out

This is possible, but extremely expensive for you.

>OR have a copy printed out and submitted to a website so that i could retrieve the filled form.

Yes, that can be done.

> i thought about e-mail submissions for a bit but decided those weren't the best.

Very wise.

>I have heard some talk about using a website to host the pdf's and had them submit to a website

Yes, that sounds good. You can simply put a PDF file on a web site and
link to it. The PDF file contains a submit action with the URL of a
script.

The PDF can submit in HTML format, and in this case existing web
scripts may be usable. The PDF can also submit in some other formats
(FDF, XML), which would require a specially written script.

Aandi Inston

[jamessteadman@adobeforums.com]

Aandi, thank you for you detailed response, i just have a question about the script that i would have on the wbesite. Are there any sample scripts that adobe provides for the server end? or are there any real world examples of this that i can see to get a good idea on how it works in detail.

James

[Aandi_Inston@adobeforums.com]

Adobe provide something called the FDF Toolkit. This isn't necessary,
but it makes it easier to analyse FDF files on the server. That might
come with samples. It is free BUT only available on application.

Aandi Inston

[jamessteadman@adobeforums.com]

wow it seems adobe makes their products entirely to difficult to use and lacking features in other versions of acrobat (ie leaving open ended answers in the help, telling you how to make a fillable form and not tell you how to setup the server properly) unless its your full time job and enough time in the day to research everything your self.

ARRGGGGGG! so frustrating!

Thanks for the help

[Aandi_Inston@adobeforums.com]

Well, it's important to realise that providing the back end requires a
web programmer. You can employ one or become one, but it is not
something that can be (or should be) taught in a few lines of help.

Adobe publish a lot of information for programmers, but it is outside
the main documentation.

Aandi Inston