How do I make a PDF form and capture the data?

Dear Lori,

We are in the process of creating a PDF form with Adobe Acrobat Pro. My requirements include 1) the form must have live form fields so my users can fill out the form online, and 2) the data must be saved to a database. If we create this form with Acrobat 7 Professional, can people with Adobe Reader use this form and save their data to a database? Will I need to use JavaScript to do this?

— M.T.

Lori writes:

Hi M.T.

Great question. My answer depends on where your database resides.

The code to communicate with a local database (JavaScript using ADBC) is not available in Adobe Reader. However, if you have a requirement to write to a local database, you can create the form with Adobe LiveCycle Designer (included with Acrobat 7 Professional and Acrobat 3D) and then extend your PDF form with Adobe LiveCycle Reader Extensions. Now, any user with Adobe Reader 7.x can communicate directly with your local database via ODBC.

If you plan to host the database on a server, the answer is yes. Adobe Reader (back to version 3.x) will allow you to 'submit' the data to a backend server where you can use server-side script to manipulate the data, including populating a database.

And for both options, JavaScript coding would be the method.

If you do decide to use Adobe LiveCycle Designer to create your form, I would recommend you take a look at this tip which demonstrates how to connect a PDF form to a local database:
http://partners.adobe.../lc_designer_db_lookup_tip.pdf

— Lori

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