> I apologize in advance since this isn't a CF question, but I'm desperate and > hoping this is at least an Adobe question. > A client of mine wants to create a form for users to fill out > electronically. He then wants to take their responses (attached > via email) and upload the data to an Access 2007 database. He absolutely > does not want this to be web-based. He ideally > wanted me to create an interactive form in PDF. I thought, "Sure, no > problem." The problems I'm running into? Importing > PDF data into Access appears to involve an extra step (converting the PDF to > text or XML or Excel) which he/the client would > have to do (since he's the one getting the returned forms). Worse is that he > wants some multi-select drop-down lists in the > form and I'm not seeing a way to do this in a PDF (I've played around with > both Acrobat Pro and LiveCycle Designer). And > without VBA skills I don't have, I'm not even seeing how to do this in an > Excel or Word form.
You can certainly do all this using a PDF form created in LiveCycle Designer. The easiest approach is the one that Kevin described - use the email option to submit data, then capture that in a single Excel spreadsheet. You can then easily import that into Access if you really need to. I've had similar government clients on shoestring budgets, and this approach worked very well for them. Alternatively, you can configure a LiveCycle form to submit data directly to an Access database via an OLEDB data connection, but this option is a bit more fragile, as it requires users' machines to be configured to connect. If there are only going to be a few users, and they're all going to be on the same network all the time, this may be an option though. You can easily create multiselect dropdowns in LiveCycle Designer. Populating them from dynamic data is a bit less easy, though, as it typically involves either server-side stuff (not an option in your case) or a SOAP call (probably also not an option in your case). Scripting in LC Designer uses either JavaScript or FormCalc - both are pretty similar, actually. Dave Watts, CTO, Fig Leaf Software http://www.figleaf.com/ http://training.figleaf.com/ Fig Leaf Software is a Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB) on GSA Schedule, and provides the highest caliber vendor-authorized instruction at our training centers, online, o ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Order the Adobe Coldfusion Anthology now! http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-Coldfusion-Anthology/dp/1430272155/?tag=houseoffusion Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-talk/message.cfm/messageid:346232 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-talk/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-talk/unsubscribe.cfm
