John Jason Jordan wrote: > "On Mon, 12 Jun 2006 20:36:33 -0700 > NoOp <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> dijo: > >> > Acrobat Reader, the free version, doesn't save filled in forms, you >> > can only print them. Of course if the student has a PDF printer he/she >> > can print the filled form and mail that back; > >> Acrobat Reader 7.0 does. An easy example is to download a US Government >> tax form (say a Form 1040): >> <snip> >> Now whether you can create and save forms via OOo so that the PDF will >> keep the form might be another story. I am not familiar enough with the >> options for exporting to PDF: >> >> Submit forms in format: >> Select the format of submitting forms from within the PDF file. >> This setting overrides the control's URL property that you set in the >> document. There is only one common setting valid for the whole PDF >> document: PDF (sends the whole document), FDF (sends the control >> contents), HTML, and XML. > > I just tried this too. I opened a new, blank Writer document, fumbled > around until I found the Forms toolbars, and created a document with a > Text box and a Date box, as a test to see how it would go. Then I > exported as PDF, using the default settings. And then I opened the test > document in Adobe Reader 7.0. (This was all on my Ubuntu-64 Breezy > computer. I did not do any of this on any other platform.) I was able > to type anything I wanted into the boxes I had created. So far it > looked like it would work. But when I went to save it, I got: > > "This document does not allow you to save any changes you have made to > it unless you are using Adobe Acrobat 7.0 Standard or Adobe Acrobat 7.0 > Professional. You will only be saving a copy of the original document. > Do you want to continue?" > > I went ahead and told it to save the copy. And when I opened the copy, > sure enough, it was just a copy of the original document; none of the > sample text I had typed in the boxes was saved. Then I went back to my > Writer document and re-exported it as PDF several more times, each time > altering one of the options -- FDF, PDF, HTML, XML and "Tagged PDF." > None of them made any difference. Each attempt still produced a PDF in > which I could make edits in the fields I had created, but the file > could not be saved with the edits. > > So it appears you are completely correct. There is something in the > security settings that I need to be able to change in order to make > this work. > > I also checked the Help files and found the following: > > When creating PDF files > Select to see a warning dialog when you try to export a document to PDF > format that displays recorded changes in Writer, or that displays notes. > > However, that seems to be just a way to prevent the PDF file from > having stuff that you don't want to appear in it. It does not address > security in the resulting PDF document. > > However, evidently it can be done. It's just a matter of figuring out > if OO.o already has the functionality and I haven't found the button > for it yet, or if this is something to add to the wish list for future > versions.
After looking into this a bit further, I find that it is quite a bit more complicated just as Giuseppe said. The problem appears to be that Adobe has a commercial lock on the Fillable Form PDF process, and in order to accomplish what would seem simple isn't. The IRS forms that I referenced appear to have been created using specific Adobe software (Acrobat 6/LiveCycle) that allow saving the document with form fill & save permissions. From the Adobe website, Acrobat Professional v7 indicates that it has LiveCycle included and that you can save forms in this fashion, but after a download & install of the 30 day v7 trial software I've not yet figured out how to accomplish this via a print to Acrobat. (I know that I can create forms in Acrobat 4/7 but it's silly to do so for your purposes) Here's what I've tried so far: Printing/Exporting from OOo Writer 1. OOo Writer to Export PDF (we know that doesn't work). 2. OOo Writer to Acrobat 4.0. (Print to Distiller and/or PDFWriter) That doesn't work either even though it is a fully licensed install & includes all forms extentions. 3. OOo Writer to PDFCreator (which uses Ghostscript). That produces the same results as 1 & 2. 4. OOo Writer to Acrobat 7.0 Professional (Print to AdobePDF 7) Even with setting everything to filling forms etc., this doesn't seem to work either. At least I've not figured it out yet. BTW: you can order the full Acrobat 7.0 Professional version from Adobe's website for $159 educational (vs $449 commercial). 5. Looked into Adobe's creation of PDF documents online service. Apparently Adobe (despite their lawsuit against MS w/regard to PDF creation in Vista) is still catering to MS and currently do not accept OOo documents for this service. They only accept MS or Adobe created word processing/DTP form files. The good news is that if you use the PDF Export function in OOo Writer, the file is saved as an editable PDF form which can be printed with the changes in place. It can also be printed as a PDF via Acrobat and/or PDFCreator, GhostScript, etc., with the changes left in place. However that requires your students to muck around with PS printer drivers, installing GhostScript/PDFCreator, etc., etc. Note: you *can* use OOo to export the form document as a PDF, bring it up in Adobe Reader 7.0, modify it and *then* print it to the opensource PDFCreator with the changes intact. However I think it too much to ask your students to have to install yet another application to do this. I've not found a easy solution for your seemingly simple question. But the question & situation bothers me enough that I am calling Adobe tomorrow to see if there is something that they can suggest. Your question/idea is a good one and one that should be a snap for educators etc., to implement without spending a bundle or going through multiple application hassles. <sigh> Perhaps for the time being it would be easier just to save & post the the course tests as both OOo and MS Word formats and have the students submit the completed forms in the same. Most will have MS Word already installed, however it certainly would be a good thing to encourage them to download and install OOo; and for those that do not have MS Word (and even those who do), provide an OOo install CD at the start of the class as part of the course materials - they will thank you for it later :-) --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
