I am getting emails of .fdf files from my users. When I double-click on these FDF files and they get opened in Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro, it is supposed to fetch a file called submissionform.pdf from our website and then fill it, but Adobe Acrobat cannot seem to download the pdf from our website. I get a prompt saying that Adobe Acrobat is trying to access our website and it needs permission to do so, and I click "Allow" but nothing happens. So I guess there is a problem with the FDF file. What can I do to make sure the FDF file is formatted correctly?
How to load up a blank fillable PDF file from the FDF file?
2011-01-19 15:24:16
My Product Information:
Acrobat Pro 9.0, Windows
Acrobat Pro 9.0, Windows
2011-01-19 16:01:15
#1
It's probably not a problem with the FDF. What happens if you download the PDF, open it in Acrobat, and manually import the FDF (Forms > Manage Form Data > Import Data)?
2011-01-19 17:51:31
#2
That works OK, but it is not an ideal solution because it is a multi-step process:
1. Download the FDF file attachment from the email to, say, the Desktop.
2. Navigate to the PDF's location on the website.
3. I don't THINK we can import data when viewing a PDF in-browser, so we have to save it somewhere, so we right-click the PDF and Save Link As.../Save Target As... and save to the Desktop.
4. Find the saved PDF on the Desktop and open it in Adobe Acrobat Pro.
5. Go to Forms > Manage Form Data > Import Data.
6. Select the FDF file and we're done.
Bit of a pain, this. Like I said, it would be so much easier to just be able to double-click on the email attachment FDF file.
1. Download the FDF file attachment from the email to, say, the Desktop.
2. Navigate to the PDF's location on the website.
3. I don't THINK we can import data when viewing a PDF in-browser, so we have to save it somewhere, so we right-click the PDF and Save Link As.../Save Target As... and save to the Desktop.
4. Find the saved PDF on the Desktop and open it in Adobe Acrobat Pro.
5. Go to Forms > Manage Form Data > Import Data.
6. Select the FDF file and we're done.
Bit of a pain, this. Like I said, it would be so much easier to just be able to double-click on the email attachment FDF file.
2011-01-19 17:57:24
#3
Where can I find more information on dissecting these FDF files? Like what is the difference between /F and /UF? And what do those weird non-printable characters mean at the beginning?
2011-01-19 19:56:22
#4
That exercise was intended to demonstrate that the FDF was not the problem, not a suggested workflow. You now know that the FDF contains the /F (and /UF) key that points to the PDF from which it was exported, and it contains all of the data. So the problem is now getting Acrobat to load the PDF.
The characters at the beginning (which should be printable) are there in an attempt to ensure that the file is treated as a binary file, as opposed to a text file. They are included as a comment. This was beneficial in some workflows and email systems, but is less of an issue nowadays.
The /UF key should be the same as the /F key (but may be encoded differntly) and point to the PDF that the FDF was exported from. The /UF is supposed to be more cross-platform/cross-language compatible.
More information on FDF is available in the PDF spec. (ISO 32000). FDF is a subset of PDF.
The characters at the beginning (which should be printable) are there in an attempt to ensure that the file is treated as a binary file, as opposed to a text file. They are included as a comment. This was beneficial in some workflows and email systems, but is less of an issue nowadays.
The /UF key should be the same as the /F key (but may be encoded differntly) and point to the PDF that the FDF was exported from. The /UF is supposed to be more cross-platform/cross-language compatible.
More information on FDF is available in the PDF spec. (ISO 32000). FDF is a subset of PDF.
2011-01-20 03:19:18
#5
"So the problem is now getting Acrobat to load the PDF."
Is there just some option in Edit > Preferences that I'm missing? Should I try uninstalling and then reinstalling Adobe Acrobar 9 Pro?If I change the /F and /UF tags from the website address to the same PDF file saved locally (c:\temp\submissionform.pdf), it works fine.
Is there just some option in Edit > Preferences that I'm missing? Should I try uninstalling and then reinstalling Adobe Acrobar 9 Pro?If I change the /F and /UF tags from the website address to the same PDF file saved locally (c:\temp\submissionform.pdf), it works fine.
2011-01-20 03:51:13
#6
Have you looked at 'Manage form data files' in Help?
You might also want to look at the FDF Tool kit from Adobe. It is a free download.
You might also want to look at the FDF Tool kit from Adobe. It is a free download.
2011-01-20 05:51:07
#7
Well this is weird. After uninstalling and reinstalling Acrobat Pro I cant even launch Help! So apparently the real problem is I can't launch a browser window from Acrobat Pro. How do I fix this?