Enhancing Adobe Acrobat Forms with JavaScript: Take Your Forms to the Next Level! (2nd Edition)

Table of Contents About the Author About the Technical Reviewer Acknowledgments Introduction Part I: Basic Form Improvements Chapter 1: A Fundamental Forms Primer Forms Review Fields Refresher Properties Refresher Text Box Field Properties and Date Field Properties Dialog Boxes Dropdown Properties Dialog Box List Box Properties Dialog Box Check Box Properties Dialog Box Radio Button Properties Dialog Box Button Properties and Image Properties Dialog Box Digital Signature Properties Dialog Box Barcode Properties Dialog Box Tabs Refresher Editing Your Form with the More Menu and Right Pane Setting the Field Tab Order Using the Menu Options Clearing a Form While Working Summary Chapter 2: Introduction to Actions Getting Started Rating Forms Value Averaging and Sum: Working with Text Fields The Validate Tab The Calculate Tab for the Grand Total Using Sum Sum and Averaging Using Check Boxes or Radio Buttons with Text Fields Using Radio Buttons on Page 3 of the Project Using Check Boxes on Page 3 of the Project Turning Check Boxes into Radio Buttons Basic Action Button Triggers for Reset Buttons and Printing Buttons Reset Button Print Form Button Summary Chapter 3: Creating a QR Code Custom Stamp Customizing Your QR Code Stamp QR Code Creation Using the Stamp Tool Final Thoughts: QR Code for Professional Printing Summary Chapter 4: Buttons, Navigation, Form, and Nonform Actions Creating a Button Icon Example of a Button as a Label Only Example of a Button Combination of Icon Only Nonform Properties Actions Pages Bookmarks Web and Custom Hyperlinks Rich Media Nonform Navigation Buttons Layers Basic Actions Other Nonform Actions That Can Affect Sticky Note or Markup Tools Indirectly Triggers for Actions Choose an Action That Requires No Code Newsletter Navigation with Buttons Form Navigation with a Button as a Helpful Hint Adding a Comb of Characters Before Comb and After Comb More Action Triggers to Show and Hide Hide and Clear Fields Button Set Layer Visibility Using Bookmarks Using Buttons Summary Part II: Simplified Field Notation and Basic JavaScript Chapter 5: Introduction to Simplified Field Notation and JavaScript Getting Started Text Field, Date, and Drop-Down List Properties Actions Tab Format Tab Validate Tab Calculate Tab Check Box, Radio Button, Image Field, and Button Properties List Box Properties Digital Signature Properties Barcode Properties Global Document JavaScript Web Links and References Regular Forms vs. E-Signature Forms JavaScript and Acrobat on the Document Level Summary Chapter 6: Basic and Complex Calculations Getting Started Sum Value Simplified Field Notation JavaScript Custom Calculation Script Final Thoughts on Working with the Calculate Tab JavaScript Script Validation for Displaying Zero The Final Line of Code Drop-Down Alternatives Set Field Calculation Order Resetting Your Field of Focus Summary Chapter 7: Format Calculations Number Formatting Formatting with a Percentage A Workaround for the Percentage Reset Fields with JavaScript Date Formatting Date Formatting with JavaScript Time Formatting Time Formatting with JavaScript, a Custom Example Comb of Characters for Dates Special Formatting Final Thoughts Drop-Down Alternatives More Information on Adding Decimal Places and Leading Zeros Summary Chapter 8: Various JavaScript Alerts, Notes, and Time Stamps Alert Types Create a Document JavaScript Viewer Version and Validation Alert Document Actions Document Will Close Document Will Print Alerts Working with Buttons Adding a Comment Note, Signature, and Time Stamp Signature Field and Time Stamp Summary Chapter 9: Create Help for Clients with Rollover Text and Alerts The Rollover Method Mouse Enter Mouse Exit Longer Array Example (Optional) Extra Noncustom JavaScript Check Box Example How to Show and Hide Fields with JavaScript The Default Text Method The Alert Method Customer’s Full Name Date Customer Order Code Customer’s Company Name How to Duplicate Text for Multiple Fields and Make Fields Read-Only Set Fields to Read-Only with JavaScript Final Thoughts Summary Chapter 10: Various Types of Formatting with JavaScript Adding Global Formatting to Text Fields Color Properties Array and Variable Examples of Formatting Properties Multiline Buttons Multiline Text Complex Formatting Using Check Boxes and a Text Field Rich Text Formatting for Text Fields and Comments Comment Example Final Thoughts on Formatting with Text Silent Printing Options for Submit Button Using Email Summary Part III: Working with More Complex Forms Chapter 11: Validation with Text Boxes, Alerts, and Radio Buttons Money Transfer Example Alternate Way to Work with Radio Buttons Without Alerts Changing the Shipping Price Using Radio Buttons Additional Radio Button Example with JavaScript and Text Fields and How to Change Data for Time Setting Up the Text Fields Check Box Variation with Date Text Fields Notes on Changing Formatting Options for Radio Button, Check Box, and Button Style Formatting for Buttons and How the Following Properties Can Be Affected Formatting for Radio Buttons and Check Boxes Text Field Validation with Regular Expressions Telephone Validation Name Validation Account Number Validation Email and URL Validation Another Phone and Date Example with Two Variables Final Thoughts on Formatting Fields Summary Chapter 12: Working with Dropdown Lists Current Skills Request Form Parts Order Form Drop-Down Lists with Select Dates and Discounts Final Thoughts Load a Lengthy Single Drop-Down or List Menu Tips on Changing Custom Formatting for Drop-Down Lists with JavaScript Summary Chapter 13: Working with List Boxes List Box Priority List with Control Buttons The Add Button The Delete Button The Clear or Reset Button The Up Button The Down Button Check Box, Drop-Down, and List Box: Example 1 Check Box, List Box, and Multi-Drop-Down: Example 2 Button Slide Show Variation Extra Example Priority List Improved Final Thoughts Hidden Fields Using List Boxes for a Number Rating Notes on Changing Custom Formatting for List Boxes Summary Chapter 14: Advanced Navigation: The Pop-Up Menu The Pop-Up Menu Example Add a Pop-Up Menu Using a Bookmark Final Thoughts Summary Part IV: Beyond the Basics Chapter 15: Action Wizard and JavaScript Working with the Action Wizard Reuse JavaScript from Chapter 8 Is It a Custom Action or a Custom Command? Create and Manage Custom Commands Summary Chapter 16: Multistate Check Boxes The Problem of Multistate Check Boxes Bonus Star Rating Idea Select All or Deselect All Check Boxes at Once Summary Chapter 17: Importing an Image into a Button Creating the Button Summary Chapter 18: Multiple Formatting The Problem of Multiple Formatting Option 1: Do It Yourself Price Script No Price Script Adding a Degree Symbol and Formatting Range Option 2: Contact a Professional Summary Chapter 19: Digital Signatures and Barcodes Digital Signatures and Security Working with Digital Signatures and Other Adobe Security Tools Signature Field Formatting Create a Security Puzzle Barcodes Summary Chapter 20: What Are E-Signature Forms and Web Forms? A Brief Look at Request E-Signatures and Resources What Are Web Forms? Summary Part V: Putting It into Practice Chapter 21: Homework Assignments Homework Assignment 1: Show and Hide Homework Assignment 2: Working with JavaScript to Create Formulas Area of a Circle A = π r 2 Field: CircumferenceRow1 Circumference of a Circle C = 2 π r Field: VolumeRow1 Volume of a Sphere V = 4/3 π r3 Field: FahrenheitRow1 Celsius to Fahrenheit to Formula. (°C x 9/5) + 32 = °F. Field: CelsiusRow1_2 Fahrenheit to Celsius Formula. (°F - 32) x 5/9 = °C Homework Assignment 3: Custom Validation and Regular Expressions Homework Assignment 4: Personal Drop-Down List Menu and Definitions Text Box Summary Index Take your PDF forms to the next level! In this book, you’ll learn various ways to further improve your PDF forms using simple JavaScript coding. You’ll also discover how a few lines of code can speed up your workflow when working with multiple PDFs in Action Wizard. Enhancing Adobe Acrobat Forms with JavaScript covers up-to-date, real working examples that you can easily download and practice with and edit to suit your own projects. This book also shows workarounds and solutions to various form issues you might encounter. Feel empowered by it and improve your PDF documents! JavaScript has been a part of Adobe Acrobat for many versions. However, few people use its features and focus mainly on using basic form properties, never delving deeper into Acrobat’s full capabilities. While information on the web can be helpful, if you don’t know enough about how to use JavaScript in Acrobat you will be left with poor results. JavaScript can be difficult to learn, but it does not need to be scary. This book explains in simple steps for beginner to intermediate level so that you can take full advantage of Acrobat’s capabilities for your own projects. What You Will Learn • Learn simplified field notation and basic JavaScript for Acrobat • Work with buttons that can be used for navigation • Improve form navigation and printing of forms • Add various types of alerts and custom validations to improve client-entered-data • Learn the basics of how to prepare a form for e-signing Who Is This Book ForThis book is for anyone who needs to create forms for clients or websites. Students, lawyers, accountants, and human resources will be able to take their work to the next level by streamlining their workflow and utilizing advanced JavaScript features in Adobe Acrobat. Take your PDF forms to the next level! In this book, you'll learn various ways to further improve your PDF forms using simple JavaScript coding. You'll also discover how a few lines of code can speed up your workflow when working with multiple PDFs in Action Wizard. Enhancing Adobe Acrobat Forms with JavaScript covers up-to-date, real working examples that you can easily download and practice with and edit to suit your own projects. This book also shows workarounds and solutions to various form issues you might encounter. Feel empowered by it and improve your PDF documents! JavaScript has been a part of Adobe Acrobat for many versions. However, few people use its features and focus mainly on using basic form properties, never delving deeper into Acrobat's full capabilities. While information on the web can be helpful, if you don't know enough about how to use JavaScript in Acrobat you will be left with poor results. JavaScript can be difficult to learn, but it does not need to be scary. This book explains in simple steps for beginner to intermediate level so that you can take full advantage of Acrobat's capabilities for your own projects. What You Will Learn Learn simplified field notation and basic JavaScript for Acrobat Work with buttons that can be used for navigation Improve form navigation and printing of forms Add various types of alerts and custom validations to improve client-entered-data Learn the basics of how to prepare a form for e-signing Who Is This Book For This book is for anyone who needs to create forms for clients or websites. Students, lawyers, accountants, and human resources will be able to take their work to the next level by streamlining their workflow and utilizing advanced JavaScript features in Adobe Acrobat.