Ian, they are not forms currently. I do have an assistant who knows how to create PDF forms, though, so that part I can have her do.
So you are saying that a good starting point would be to convert all the PDFs into forms?
I'd love to hear how you handled this challenge.
</quote>
This would defiantly be an option. It will take some time depending on what, if any, improvements Acrobat has made to its form creation tools. When I was doing this in 2000 it was very labor intensive because there was very little automation in the form tools. You couldn't copy and paste controls, there was no layout help to line up and/or space fields, etcetera. But once the forms where created it was pretty easy to use.
Online, they worked just like HTML forms, the user filled them out with their Acrobat Reader plugin, hit the submit button on the form, and the data was sent to the server for processing. So you could then put this data in a database or what ever you want to do.
The other option of the user completing the form then saving a copy could also be done, but back then not with the free Reader. The user would have to have a more advanced Acrobat product. But taking a 30 second browse of Acrobat's site it looks like Reader 6.0+ can save pdf forms with the data if the pdf file has the proper rights.
<quote http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/328647.html>
Adobe Reader capabilities
Adobe Reader provides the following forms capabilities:
-- View, navigate, and print PDF forms, including form field data
-- Search forms (requires Adobe Reader with Search)
-- Complete fields within a PDF form (cannot save changes to a PDF form)
If a PDF form is rights-enabled, Adobe Reader provides additional capabilities:
-- Save forms and data locally
-- Complete and submit forms online
-- Distribute forms to others for review and comment
-- Add digital signatures
</quote>
So, I would say, if you don't have to hassle over the creation of the forms, ie the assistant can do it, then this would be a fairly easy to implement solution for you.
--------------
Ian Skinner
Web Programmer
BloodSource
www.BloodSource.org
Sacramento, CA
"C code. C code run. Run code run. Please!"
- Cynthia Dunning
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