Hello Markus, I've created PDFBOX-6207 for that.
BR Maruan Am Dienstag, dem 26.05.2026 um 10:50 +0000 schrieb Markus Mensinger via users: > Hi Maruan, > > here is the new link. It's valid for 10 Days. The document is free to > use. > > https://signotecgmbh-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/markus_mensinger_signotec_de/IQA1G3tlspKkS5vU_AqOffDkAfs4fLjHS72BB2hRGA2wmd4?e=65ka16 > > Kind regards > Markus > > > -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht----- > > Von: [email protected] <[email protected]> > > Gesendet: Mittwoch, 20. Mai 2026 15:58 > > An: [email protected]; Markus Mensinger > > <[email protected]> > > Betreff: Re: Setting checkbox value fails when field has empty /Opt > > array > > > > Hello Markus, > > > > could you provide the test file again. I just now have the time to > > look into that and > > the link is expired. > > > > Kind regards, > > Maruan > > > > Am Dienstag, dem 28.04.2026 um 17:18 +0200 schrieb > > [email protected]: > > > Hi Markus: > > > > > > from the 1.7 spec: > > > > > > "... If present, the Opt entry shall be an array of text strings > > > representing the export value of each annotation in the field. > > > ..." > > > > > > So it's present but does not contain any value but the spec has > > > "... > > > shall be ..." which means an empty array is not permitted here. > > > > > > We are looking into handling it on the PDFBox side but I thought > > > it > > > might be good to check if the template creation can be enhanced. > > > > > > BR > > > Maruan > > > > > > > > > Am Dienstag, dem 28.04.2026 um 15:09 +0000 schrieb Markus > > > Mensinger: > > > > Hi Maruan, > > > > > > > > the document is free to use. Acrobat Preflight found no syntax > > > > errors. Which tool are you using to check it? > > > > > > > > I'll find out which program was used to create the document and > > > > let > > > > you know if I find out. > > > > > > > > Kind regards > > > > Markus > > > > > > > > > > > > > -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht----- > > > > > Von: [email protected] <[email protected]> > > > > > Gesendet: Dienstag, 28. April 2026 12:45 > > > > > An: [email protected] > > > > > Cc: Markus Mensinger <[email protected]> > > > > > Betreff: Re: Setting checkbox value fails when field has > > > > > empty > > > > > /Opt array > > > > > > > > > > Hello Markus, > > > > > > > > > > we can look at making PDFBox handling this. OTOH the file > > > > > itself > > > > > is not spec compliant. Do you know what tool has generated > > > > > this > > > > > PDF?. > > > > > > > > > > "... Each entry shall be a text string representing the on > > > > > state > > > > > of the corresponding widget annotation.". We can look at > > > > > handling > > > > > that gracefully. > > > > > > > > > > When creating a ticket can we add the file to the ticket? > > > > > > > > > > BTW: the workaround you documented looks fine for now > > > > > > > > > > BR > > > > > Maruan > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Am Dienstag, dem 28.04.2026 um 10:12 +0000 schrieb Markus > > > > > Mensinger via > > > > > users: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hi PdfBox Team, > > > > > > > > > > > > we have a problem with a customer document. > > > > > > Download: > > > > > > pdf-Symbol form_with_checkbox.pdf Link valid until 08.05. > > > > > > > > > > > > Here is a bug report generated with Claude Sonnet. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Component: PDFBox - Interactive Forms (AcroForm) Affects > > > > > > Version: > > > > > > 3.0.7 > > > > > > Type: Bug > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > SUMMARY > > > > > > > > > > > > When a checkbox field in an AcroForm PDF contains an empty > > > > > > /Opt > > > > > > array (/Opt []) in its field dictionary, calling > > > > > > PDCheckBox.setValue("Yes") > > > > > > throws an IllegalArgumentException, even though "Yes" is a > > > > > > perfectly valid export value defined by the field's > > > > > > appearance > > > > > > states. > > > > > > > > > > > > The same field can be checked and unchecked without any > > > > > > error > > > > > > using Adobe Acrobat products (Acrobat Reader, Acrobat Pro), > > > > > > which treat the empty /Opt array as if it were absent. This > > > > > > confirms that the PDF is valid and the issue is specific to > > > > > > PDFBox's validation logic. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ERROR MESSAGE > > > > > > > > > > > > java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: value 'Yes' is not a > > > > > > valid > > > > > > option for the field Check_Info_Post_andere, valid values > > > > > > are: > > > > > > [] and Off > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ROOT CAUSE > > > > > > > > > > > > The validation in PDCheckBox.setValue() checks the /Opt > > > > > > array > > > > > > when it is present. > > > > > > If the array exists but is empty, all non-"Off" values are > > > > > > rejected - including the export value "Yes" that is defined > > > > > > in > > > > > > the field's appearance dictionary (/AP). > > > > > > The empty /Opt array should either be ignored or treated as > > > > > > absent - which is exactly what Adobe Acrobat does. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > STEPS TO REPRODUCE > > > > > > > > > > > > import org.apache.pdfbox.Loader; import > > > > > > org.apache.pdfbox.cos.COSArray; import > > > > > > org.apache.pdfbox.cos.COSName; import > > > > > > org.apache.pdfbox.pdmodel.PDDocument; > > > > > > import > > > > > > org.apache.pdfbox.pdmodel.interactive.form.PDCheckBox; > > > > > > import org.apache.pdfbox.pdmodel.interactive.form.PDField; > > > > > > > > > > > > import java.io.File; > > > > > > > > > > > > public class CheckBoxBugDemo { > > > > > > > > > > > > public static void main(String[] args) { > > > > > > try (PDDocument doc = Loader.loadPDF(new > > > > > > File("form_with_checkbox.pdf"))) { > > > > > > > > > > > > PDField field = doc.getDocumentCatalog() > > > > > > .getAcroForm() > > > > > > > > > > > > .getField("Check_Info_Post_andere"); > > > > > > > > > > > > System.out.println("Field type : " + > > > > > > field.getFieldType()); > > > > > > System.out.println("/Opt entry : " + > > > > > > > > > > > > field.getCOSObject().getItem(COSName.OPT)); // > > > > > > prints: COSArray{} > > > > > > > > > > > > // Workaround: manually remove the empty /Opt > > > > > > array > > > > > > before setting value > > > > > > COSArray opt = (COSArray) > > > > > > field.getCOSObject().getDictionaryObject(COSName.OPT); > > > > > > if (opt != null && opt.size() == 0) { > > > > > > > > > > > > field.getCOSObject().removeItem(COSName.OPT); > > > > > > System.out.println("/Opt removed (was > > > > > > empty)"); > > > > > > } > > > > > > > > > > > > // Without the workaround above, this line > > > > > > throws > > > > > > IllegalArgumentException: > > > > > > // "value 'Yes' is not a valid option ... valid > > > > > > values > > > > > > are: [] and Off" > > > > > > ((PDCheckBox) field).setValue("Yes"); > > > > > > > > > > > > System.out.println("Value set successfully: " + > > > > > > ((PDCheckBox) field).getValue()); > > > > > > > > > > > > } catch (Exception e) { > > > > > > e.printStackTrace(); > > > > > > } > > > > > > } > > > > > > } > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > EXPECTED BEHAVIOR > > > > > > > > > > > > An empty /Opt array should be treated the same as a missing > > > > > > /Opt > > > > > > entry. The value "Yes" (or any export value present in the > > > > > > field's appearance states) should be accepted. This is > > > > > > consistent with how Adobe Acrobat Reader and Acrobat Pro > > > > > > handle > > > > > > this case. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ACTUAL BEHAVIOR > > > > > > > > > > > > PDCheckBox.setValue("Yes") throws IllegalArgumentException > > > > > > because the empty /Opt array causes the valid-options check > > > > > > to > > > > > > return an empty list, which excludes "Yes". > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > WORKAROUND > > > > > > > > > > > > Remove the empty /Opt entry from the field dictionary > > > > > > before > > > > > > calling > > > > > > setValue(): > > > > > > > > > > > > COSArray opt = (COSArray) > > > > > > field.getCOSObject().getDictionaryObject(COSName.OPT); > > > > > > if (opt != null && opt.size() == 0) { > > > > > > field.getCOSObject().removeItem(COSName.OPT); > > > > > > } > > > > > > ((PDCheckBox) field).setValue("Yes"); > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > SUGGESTED FIX > > > > > > > > > > > > In the PDFBox source, the method that validates allowed > > > > > > values > > > > > > for a checkbox should skip or ignore the /Opt array when it > > > > > > is > > > > > > present but empty (size() == 0), bringing the behavior in > > > > > > line > > > > > > with Adobe Acrobat. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Kind regards > > > > > > Markus > > > > > > > > > > > > ----------------------------------------------------------------- > > > ---- > > > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] > > > For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected] > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] > For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected] --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected]
