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Can I correct data in form added to an Adobe dataset?

Forum Index > Forms: Acrobat > Can I correct data in form added to an Adobe dataset?
2011-02-24 21:33:49
lfedel
Registered: Feb 24 2011
Posts: 2

Can't correct/edit data in received completed submitted forms such that the edits appear in Adobe's dataset and in any xml export.
  
I distributed a form via email that was created in LifeCycle Designer (as part of Adobe Acrobat Pro 8.1.3). I have doubleclicked the returned submitted forms, thereby adding them to the associated Adobe Pro dataset. This part is working fine.
 

 
However, some of the returned submitted forms have field entries that I want to correct (missing data, spelling mistakes etc) in the Adobe dataset before exporting via xml to Excel. Is there a way to do this?
 

 
I have noticed that I can type into any field on the form in the dataset and change the entry - and these changes hold in each form if I close the dataset and reopen it - but the changes are never reflected in the dataset row area and therefore not in the xml export either. Can't seem to type into/change fields in the dataset row area at all.
 

 
One of my colleagues has Adobe Acrobat Pro v9 and if they open the dataset and make changes to a form, the changes are reflected in the dataset row area too and carry over into the xml export. So perhaps Adobe Acrobat Pro 8.1.3 doesn't allow this, but Pro 9 does? Unfortunately we have already made all the changes in to the forms in the dataset in v8.1.3 (and opening this datset with changes in v9 and saving doesn't update the row dataset area either) and would like to avoid having to redo them all again starting from scratch with a new dataset and freshly submitted forms in v9.
 

 
Any ideas much appreciated,
 
Leonie

My Product Information:
Acrobat Pro 8.1.3, Windows
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2011-02-25 11:02:30
#1
thomp
Expert
Registered: Feb 15 2006
Posts: 4411
Its not a matter of Acrobat 8 & 9 allowing or not allowing a feature. It doesn't work that way. It's a matter of what features are implemented.The forms collection concept was first introduced in Acrobat 8 using the new "Collections" feature for embedded files. As such, form collections in 8 has a weak implementation. In Acrobat 9 collections were replaced with portfolios and the implementation of the "Forms Collection" was improved. What you are seeing is a feature improvement in a new version.

The form data you are seeing displayed in the "datasets" is actually the embedded file metadata. In Acrobat 9, changes in the form are detected and written into the metadata fields.

So one solution is to try and trigger the automatic update. For example, opening and closing the embedded forms in the collection file. Or changing a single value on a form. Simply marking a form as dirty (which can be done from a script) might work.


Thom Parker
The source for PDF Scripting Info
www.pdfscripting.com
Very Important - How to Debug Your Script

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