SPUG: help with dynamic pdf forms

Ashok Misra ashok_palihill at hotmail.com
Tue Jul 15 14:25:51 CDT 2003


sure , i usually do jade because you can choose multiple output formats i.e. 
pdf, html, ...
best regards
-a



Ashok Misra
206 427 5232





>From: Terry Nightingale <tnight at pobox.com>
>To: ashok at misraonline.com
>CC: alan at ufies.org, spug-list at pm.org
>Subject: Re: SPUG: help with dynamic pdf forms
>Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2003 10:27:58 -0700
>
>For what it's worth (FWIW), you could do the same thing using an XML 
>document with XSL-FO transforming it into PDF.
>
>
>Ashok Misra wrote:
>
>>i apologize if this sounds totally ridiculous but if the structure of the 
>>document is not very complex could you plonk the form on the file system 
>>using sgml tags so it becomes an sgml document.
>>then you could use jade to compile the sgml into pdf. a trigger could be 
>>devised to fire the compiler.
>>using the freeware jade compiler is very straightforward.
>>
>>best regards
>>Ashok Misra
>>206 427 5232
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>From: Alan <alan at ufies.org>
>>>To: spug-list at pm.org
>>>Subject: Re: SPUG: help with dynamic pdf forms
>>>Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2003 09:12:55 -0700
>>>
>>>I can't go into the details too much due to NDA, but they are wanting to
>>>produce print quality items with user input in them.  I have talked to
>>>some other people and they suggested using FDF files which may solve the
>>>problem (from what I understand it's a text file with form field
>>>contents and a link to the pdf itself, and that is displayed onscreen
>>>with the fields filled out), but it does not allow people to save the
>>>"final" pdf (with user input).  The design is all in PDF form (as artsy
>>>types like) but I'll take a look at pdf->ps->[fill in fields]->pdf.  The
>>>project is just in the planning research stage right now anyway.
>>>
>>>Thanks for the idea though.
>>>
>>>alan
>>>
>>>On Tue, Jul 15, 2003 at 08:52:51AM -0700, Jay Scherrer wrote:
>>> > Alan,
>>> > This is exactly how we produce our tax forms using Practical Tax.
>>> > Can you use PostScript?
>>> > We had found that if we were to convert the form from PDF to 
>>>PostScript and
>>> > anded our variables ($var) into the form entry point. If you play 
>>>around with
>>> > your PostScript you'll find that your entries will be contained within 
>>>  a set
>>> > of parenthisis "( )". Create a template that contains your variables 
>>>within
>>> > those parenthisis. Then all you have to do is assign values to those 
>>>$vars
>>> > and have Perl print the file.
>>> > This enabled us to parse print the .ps page through Perl. Basicly 
>>>replacing
>>> > any ($var) with your inputed value. We had to extend it a little by 
>>>creating
>>> > an XML file for our records allowing us to traverse the hash and 
>>>replacing
>>> > the tagged entry with the matched $variable.
>>> >
>>> > Jay
>>> > On Monday 14 July 2003 12:08 pm, Alan wrote:
>>> > > Howdy folks.  I have a project coming up involving filling data into 
>>>PDF
>>> > > forms created by a design firm.  I'm pretty sure that this can be 
>>>done,
>>> > > and hopefully relatively easily.
>>> > >
>>> > > Basically what I need to do is take user input and insert it into a
>>> > > pre-set position / form field in an already created static PDF.  I'm 
>>>not
>>> > > all that familiar with acrobat, but it has a "form field" tool that
>>> > > allows creation of text fields, checkboxes, etc.  All I need to do 
>>>is
>>> > > take user input and stick it into those form fields (I only care 
>>>about
>>> > > the text fields).
>>> > >
>>> > > Obviously creating the pdfs from scratch via PDF-Lib isn't an 
>>>option.
>>> > > Can anyone point me at whatever the in vogue tool / library for this 
>>>is?
>>> > >
>>> > > Regards and thanks from up north
>>> > >
>>> > > alan
>>> >
>>> > --
>>> > Personalized e-mail and domain names:
>>> > <http://netidentity.com/BI3CCYFM
>>>
>>>--
>>>Alan <alan at ufies.org> - http://arcterex.net
>>>--------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>"There are only 3 real sports: bull-fighting, car racing and mountain
>>>climbing. All the others are mere games."                -- Hemingway
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>>
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>>
>
>--
>Terry Nightingale <tnight at pobox.com>
>Web Developer, Philosopher, Geek
>"In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But, in
>practice, there is." -- Jan L.A. van de Snepscheut
>

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