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Best non-techie way to collect form data?

Forum Index > Forms: Acrobat > Best non-techie way to collect form data?
2009-01-15 07:38:39
teledu
Registered: May 10 2007
Posts: 42

I have no problems viewing/producing individual forms where the data is emailed as FDF using a mailto: in the submit button. (Acrobat Pro 8)
Now I want users on our network to submit network-hosted forms that log some scrap material data.
I've run into issues trying to collect the data into a spreadsheet, which is a pity, but not totally unexpected. ie, (1) collected FDF files all have the same name, so cannot be stored in a folder for subsequent import, (2) there doesn't seem to be a mechanism to add data to an existing file.

Question: neglecting complex javascript, does Acrobat 9, Acrobat.com, or Live Cycle, separately or jointly, make building this process viable for a non-IT user?

ps. There are now so many different Adobe-sponsored Acrobat support forums available that knowing where to post questions or look for answers is becoming almost as complex as using the products!

My Product Information:
Acrobat Pro 8.1.2, Windows
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2009-01-15 12:56:41
#1
Dimitri
Expert
Registered: Nov 1 2005
Posts: 1389
Hi teledu,

Have you checked out the tutorials on collecting form data in the "Learning Center" area of this site? Try selecting "Acrobat:Forms" as the topic- there are a few videos on using Acrobat.com and Acrobat for collecting form data and if I remeber correctly some of them show how to export the data to a spreadsheet.

Hope this helps,

Dimitri
WindJack Solutions
www.pdfscripting.com
www.windjack.com

Dimitri Munkirs
WindJack Solutions
pdfscripting.com

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2009-01-16 05:08:06
#2
teledu
Registered: May 10 2007
Posts: 42
Thanks Dimitri,
I did do that, and watched one of the videos, but it doesn't really get into the detail, so I'm still unsure about whether the items now tagged as 'Acrobat9' actually require 9, and the issue of all FDF's recovered from a form having the same file name doesn't seem to crop up anywhere; and the standard 'export to a spreadsheet' only deals with a one-off generation of a new spreadsheet, which maybe fine for the results of a distributed survey, but not much use when forms dribble in over an extended period. I guess the 'right' way is web submission to a database, but the task won't justify the effort.
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