Email Button - Why the fuss?

I've writen a few articles on submitting data with JavaScript:

http://www.acrobatusers.com/tutorials/dynamically-setting-submit-e-mail-address
http://www.acrobatusers.com/tutorials/url-encoding-strings-acrobat
http://www.acrobatusers.com/tutorials/2006/submitting_data

And Lori wrote this great tutorial:
http://www.acrobatusers.com/tutorials/how-do-i-make-pdf-form-and-capture-data

I've written about how to use the native features, the different email options and how they're used, how to set email addresses dynamically, how to encode email data into an URL, and other geeky minutia. I've answered numerous forum questions about how to perform various types of data submission tasks. But what I've always neglected to mention, is the significance of the submit button;)

So thanks for the idea!! That'll be one of my next articles.

BTW: the reason the email button is so different from a print or reset button is because it touches the outside world in a big way. Sending an email depends on the user having an active internet connection, an email account, special software for sending an email, and knowing what these things are. Acrobat doesn't always know what the deal is with the user's system setup. Really, this is one of those things that Acrobat should ask the user once, and then just remember it.

The easy way around this issue is to submit to a server script. That makes it real easy on the user, but means you have to do the server side work. Or you could purchase a service like www.formrouter.com, which takes care of the details for you.

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]

Thank you very much for your reply but I did say the rank novice.

Unfortunately you assume I know about servers or prior knowledge of the product.
In fact, Ive never even seen script before let alone the correct proceedure for entering it.

Your tutorials are no doubt outstanding but beyond my current level of understanding let alone comprehension, and who the hell is Benny? lol

Forgive the levity.

The tutorials under Help in Live cycle Designer "Getting started" are just terrific! Assume nothing and take nothing for granted leading you step by step through each process.
This is what I'm looking for to overcome my immediate need.
Your tutorials which consist of much lateral thinking only serve to confuse a person at my level of understanding. This is not a put down of your tutorials, rather it's a compliment to your knowledge and expertise.

What I'm needing right now is to get this form finished and out the door so I can spend time learning, the program without thinking about this form.

I'm looking for a step by step tutorial as found in the help menu 'Getting Started'.

I need to assign the return email address.
I need the user not have to select desktop or internet mail.
I need the user to simply press 'submit' and have the form immediately returned to the originator.
I need the form (filled) to be emailed, not just the xml data.

Basically, this is how it works.
The originator sends the form to his client.
The client fills the form and returns it to the originator.
The originator receives the filled form and then files it.
Simple as that.

Failling this, it might be prudent to just hire a carrier pigeon?


Cheers.

I do tend to take the basics for granted. Sorry, force of habit. So I'll try to address the points from a rudimentary view point.

The Return email address is yours, or whomever does the form processing. This is the point at which you loose control over the process. Once you send the form out you have no knowledge of or control over the form or the users.

Email is a communication mechanism that requires several pieces in order to work. If the user does not have an internet connection, or is not currently connected, then obviously they cannot send or recieve an email.

Next the user has to have an email account. An email account is an internet service that is provided to the user for sending and recieving email over an internet connection. Without this service, then obviously they cannot send or recieve an email.

There are two different kinds of email services. First, there is the old fashioned kind that is run from a special program on the user's machine. This program is called an email client. Microsoft Outlook is such a program. But there is also Web Mail. Web mail is controlled from a web browser.

Both PC and Mac computers have a way to register the Email Client that's on the user's computer. This makes it real easy for programs on the user's computer to send out email. They just tell the system to do it. And typically this is what Acrobat will use.

But the fact of the matter is, you don't know what the user has on thier system. How Acrobat reacts when the user presses that submit button depends entirely on thier system setup. If they have a registered email client Acrobat Should use that, but if they don't (if they use Web Mail) then Acrobat doesn't know what to do. You have no control over this.

Now, if you want to send the entire PDF do this. Place a regular button on the form. On the Object tab for the button select "Submit" as the button action. As soon as you do this you'll see a new tab appear, labeled submit. Select this tab and you'll see lots of parameters.

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]

Hi,

Might be slightly off topic here but I am frustrated at the form stage when I go to distribute a form it seems to revert to another e-mail address that I had put in when doing a form for that person. Now when I finish a form (either in Live cycle or Acrobat) and want to distrubute it always has this other person's e-mail for the submit function. I have tried to get rid of this but it just does not go away.

Is there some default setting somewhere that can be changed?

Any helP would be much appreciated

Is it necessary to hijack someone elses thread?

Hmm.

No...not really...but sometimes there are similarities with subject matter, in this case I may have been a little eager to find a solution to an annoying problem and had not thought through what I was doing. So apologies if I have offended anyone in this thread...it was not my intention to hijack it. I will start another thread on this if I need to.

Please, no need to apologise, it's just that this thread is important to me and off topic posts might take it off in tangents.
It was not my intent to sound annoyed or cause you concern.

Cheers.

Hey no problem, like I said above I didn't think this through, thanks for keeping me right