Export Data to csv from Reader

Unfortunately, Reader is not able to export form data unless it has been given the corresponding usage right by Adobe's LiveCycle Reader Extensions product. Acrobat is not able to give this usage right as it can others.

so, can I convert the form to LiveCycle and make this happen. (I have LiveCycle - Acrobat 9 Pro - on my pc)?

The problem isn't the type of form it is (Acroform vs XFA), it's that Reader doesn't allow a user to export form data from any type of form unless it has the corresponding usage right applied. The easiest way for your client to get what they want is to get Acrobat. Standard will do.

ok. I understand all of this so far, but, you did say the easiest way…so, does that mean there is a harder way to get it done, or just a figure of speach. I have set the usage rights for reader out of Acrobat to the automatic settings and the very first one is •save form data (for a fillable pdf only). Is there any way to change that to save form data to text, or csv or excel?

Now that you mention it I can imagine a harder way. Submit the form data to a web server which either stores it or forwards it by email. You'd then have to convert it to a format that can easily be imported into Excel.

Another alternative is to use some other tool that is capable of exporting the forms data. Interestingly, the free Foxit Reader (and other third-party PDF viewers) is capable of exporting form data in FDF format. But you'd have to find a way of converting FDF to a format that can easily be imported into Excel. Adobe's freely available FDF Toolkit can help you do this programmatically, but technically you can only run it on a server due to the licensing agreement.

There are no doubt more difficult ways that will involve more or less work than these approaches. When I said easy I was considering time to a solution, expense, reliability, and simplicity. For your client to get what they want all they need to do is buy Acrobat Standard.

BTW, you mentioned extending the form with usage rights with Acrobat. I consider extending documents for clients to be not allowed according to the "no service bureau" provision of the Acrobat License Agreement. I never supply extended documents to clients and instead advise them that they need to do so either with Acrobat that has been licensed to them, using Adobe's LiveCycle Reader Extensions, or by using a third-party service such as the one FormRouter.com provides for extending documents.

ok. thanks for the info. This is the first time I have built a form for a client that did not already have Acrobat Standard or Professional on their system. I usually add the usage rights for the proofing stages to make sure everything works correctly for them. I also password protect all work I do.
Thanks for your assistance, I will advise this client that they will either need to purchase Standard or use a source like Acrobat.com to get the listings they need.

There is one other way you might want to try, it worked very well for me.

If you go to this site:
http://wiki.scribus.net/index.php/How_to_create_an_e-Mail_PDF_Survey_Form

Near the bottom there is a section titled:
An example of a script to process FDF files into MS Excel
Some links are dead but the ones to download the script still work.

It's a macro run in Excel that will import fdf data into Excel.

I haven't tried it on a PC as I had to adapt it for running on a Mac but it appears to work OK.

Good luck.