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Double clicking on attached forms submitted by e-mail

geckosdesigns
Registered: Nov 22 2009
Posts: 4
Answered

First, I used 'mailto:myself [at] email [dot] com' to distribute the form as 'PDF complete document'.

During the testing of a form that I created, the Help file said to "double click the attachment" which would "open in Acrobat" and the "form data could then be exported to a spreadsheet". That is not exact quotes but close to it. So, I e-mailed a completed one to myself, double clicked it and it opened in Acrobat. Above the returned form was a ribbon that gave me some options, one of which was 'Export', and below that was the data in a spreadsheet-like format, then the completed form. I clicked the Export button and exported to a .csv file. I was very impressed.

Now, the problem is that I have since gone through several drafts of the form, and have gone through this same test, but it no longer opens in Acrobat the same way. No more ribbon with option to Export, no more spreadsheet-like data below that. It just opens asking me to fill in the form. If I want to save the data, I have to go to the Forms menu and select Manage Form Data which only gives me the option of 'Merge data files into spreadsheet' or 'Export' which does not give me the option of saving to .csv.

The group I made this form for is small (about 35 people) and this distribution is great and would be very fast with this kind of data collection and exporting. I would like to get this data collection method back. What has happened and how can I get this back?

geckosdesigns
Ottawa, ON Canada

thomp
Expert
Registered: Feb 15 2006
Posts: 4411
Save a clean copy of the completed form using the SaveAs menu item. Then run it through the Distribute Forms wizard again, and create a new collection file. This wizard adds some special sauce to the form so that when the return data is opened for the first time it exports it to the collection file. But it will not export the data a second time.

Thom Parker
The source for PDF Scripting Info
[url=http://www.pdfScripting.com]pdfscripting.com[/url]

The Acrobat JavaScript Reference, Use it Early and Often
[url=http://www.adobe.com/devnet/acrobat/javascript.php]http://www.adobe.com/devnet/acrobat/javascript.php[/url]

Then most important JavaScript Development tool in Acrobat
[url=http://www.pdfscripting.com/public/34.cfm#JSIntro][b]The Console Window (Video tutorial)[/b][/url]
[url=http://www.acrobatusers.com/tutorials/2006/javascript_console][b]The Console Window(article)[/b][/url]

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

geckosdesigns
Registered: Nov 22 2009
Posts: 4
When you say, "But it will not export the data a second time", do you mean from the same returned data form? The form is the same for everyone in the group. Or do you mean just that particular one, ie, from so-and-so?

geckosdesigns
Ottawa, ON Canada

thomp
Expert
Registered: Feb 15 2006
Posts: 4411
Yes, I meant from the same returned form. When the email appears in the email client, and you click on the attachement, the data is imported into the collection file. This will not work a second time because Acrobat knows the data has already been imported from that particular returned form.

Thom Parker
The source for PDF Scripting Info
[url=http://www.pdfScripting.com]pdfscripting.com[/url]

The Acrobat JavaScript Reference, Use it Early and Often
[url=http://www.adobe.com/devnet/acrobat/javascript.php]http://www.adobe.com/devnet/acrobat/javascript.php[/url]

Then most important JavaScript Development tool in Acrobat
[url=http://www.pdfscripting.com/public/34.cfm#JSIntro][b]The Console Window (Video tutorial)[/b][/url]
[url=http://www.acrobatusers.com/tutorials/2006/javascript_console][b]The Console Window(article)[/b][/url]

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

geckosdesigns
Registered: Nov 22 2009
Posts: 4
Thanks so much. I really appreciate your help. Everything is working well except I never get that same layout any more. Doesn't matter. I get the data.

geckosdesigns
Ottawa, ON Canada