Hi Maruan, sorry for the late response (as always). The bug/behaviour is fixed in the actual 3.0.8-SNAPSHOT. Thank you for the great work again.
Kind regards Markus > -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht----- > Von: [email protected] <[email protected]> > Gesendet: Dienstag, 2. Juni 2026 13:02 > An: [email protected] > Cc: Markus Mensinger <[email protected]> > Betreff: Re: Setting checkbox value fails when field has empty /Opt array > > Hi Markus, > > did you find the time to take a look? > > BR > Maruan > > Am Donnerstag, dem 28.05.2026 um 11:43 +0200 schrieb > [email protected]: > > Hello Markus, > > > > an new snapshot build is available at > > https://repository.apache.org/content/groups/snapshots/org/apache/pdfb > > ox/pdfbox-app/3.0.8-SNAPSHOT/ > > to test. > > > > BR > > Maruan > > > > > > Am Donnerstag, dem 28.05.2026 um 09:18 +0200 schrieb > > [email protected]: > > > 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_mensi > > > > > nger_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] > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] > > For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected]
