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Populate File name from form field data

Forum Index > Forms: Acrobat > Populate File name from form field data
2009-02-17 09:40:57
Justjoane
Registered: Nov 24 2008
Posts: 10

This is long because after a month, I still am not close to a solution. Bet you can help!

For Acrobat 8 version 8.1.3 Professional or Acrobat 9 Professional, we're looking for a solution to populate the file name from form data in two form fields in our Print Request pdf: Document Name and Date Needed.

Employees in various departments of the college will submit their print job requests by clicking the Submit button to automatically go to our media dept to the Xerox 4110 printer.

The printer computer display shows our pdf file name. We need that file name to show what document needs to be printed and date needed, without requiring any additional action by the printer technician.

As I understand the Xerox 4110, the many school documents are in memory and can be electronically called to print without using any paper at all! Going green!

The script to send the document with the correct print settings without any user interaction is working.

In the submit button field, under Actions > Mouse up > Run a JavaScript >, the script I'm using is:

var pp = this.getPrintParams();
pp.interactive = pp.constants.interactionLevel.automatic;
pp.printerName = "EXP4110";
this.print(pp);

I am a support clerk for the Webmaster. One of my jobs is working with Acrobat finding good solutions to build interactive forms for the school. I recognize some elements of JavaScript but cannot write it.

I followed the recommendations in the forum and have spent many hours going through the JavaScript™ for Acrobat® API Reference version 8.1 and Acrobat JavaScript Scripting Reference 7.0.5. I've learned a lot but did not find how to make this work.

We do have LiveCycle Designer but our IT person said the solution I got from an Acrobat forum requires some scripting in the server - folder-level? and said that is not possible right now.

Thanks for any direction you can offer.

My Product Information:
Acrobat Pro 8.1.2, Windows
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2009-02-17 10:29:27
#1
George_Johnson
Expert
Registered: Jul 6 2008
Posts: 1876
I read your post, but it's not clear to me what you need.

So are people using a PDF form to submit a request to a web server (or is it via email?) that then somehow communicates that a particular document needs to be printed?

Maybe if you summarized the steps from start to finish (initial request to document being printed) and clarify what data you need, it would be helpful.

George
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2009-02-17 12:39:26
#2
Justjoane
Registered: Nov 24 2008
Posts: 10
Thank you, George, for your help.

First, this is all internal communication, within the community college. The users are teachers and other staff at this main location.

Second, here are the steps in an example:

1. Teacher wants 35 copies of English 101 Midterm Exam printed by our media department.

2. This exam is in the memory of the Xerox 4110 printer.

3. On Windows PC, teacher opens School PDF fillable Form "Test or Quiz Printing Request"

4. Teacher completes the details requested in this fillable form on teacher's PC at the school.

5. Teacher then clicks "Submit to Media" button
- button is pre-programmed with a JavaScript (see my original post) which does the following
simple task which is usually done by the user choosing:
File > Print > select Printer > click Print- I programmed the Submit button to send automatically to our Xerox 4110 printer.

6. The Xerox 4110 printer holds the job in a queue until the technician pulls up the English 101
Midterm Exam document from the printer memory and then presses print.

7. But so far the only information the Tech has on the Xerox 4110 printer is the name of the request
form the teacher filled out: "Test or Quiz Printing Request". That's NOT what we're printing - the
request is to print the English 101 Midterm exam.

8. One way or another, we need the file name to end up including this information: Document Name
(for instance English 101 Midterm Exam) and Dated Needed (for instance February 20, 2009).

9. This data was entered by the teacher in the "Test or Quiz Printing Request" in two form fields
named: Document Name and Date needed..

10. I thought there would be a way on Acrobat to populate the file name with these two form fields
in this PDF file. Then the file name would be something like "Test or Quiz Printing Request
English 101 Midterm Exam needed 2-20-09" (only shorter)

11. I would like to program a submit button so it will accomplish having the file name change as
described automatically, without any teacher action needed.

12. If there is no Acrobat script that will work, can you suggest some other way of accomplishing this.

13. One option is to send the Document to be printed (English 101 Midterm Exam) separate from the
Request form. Perhaps that's the only answer for now!

Thanks for looking this over. When I began, I thought this would be a simple Acrobat feature!

Joanie
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2009-02-17 13:34:45
#3
George_Johnson
Expert
Registered: Jul 6 2008
Posts: 1876
I see what you want to do now. Currently, your request form has a "submit" button that is really a "print" button. It is not submitting data, but rather initiating a print job, but the print job is not for the document the user wants to print.

Without knowing the capabilities of the printer you're using, I'm afraid I can't suggest a specific approach. But what you're talking about is a client (your users) making a request of a server (the missing piece, maybe involving the tech) to print a document on a printer (Xerox 4110).

The form could be set up to send an email with the print job details or submit the data to a web server. For this first approach, the tech would have to be monitoring the incoming emails, which might not be a bad idea as the sender could then be notified as the print jobs are processed. If you can set up a web server to process these requests, it might be possible for the server to send the print job of the requested document automatically.

That's all I got. Good luck.

George
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2009-02-17 14:15:08
#4
Justjoane
Registered: Nov 24 2008
Posts: 10
Thank you, George. That really helps to see what is needed to automate this. We've decided for now to send the form request to the printer separate from the document to be printed. Then as we progress on automating some of our systems, IT will look into how this technology could be setup to work with the printer as you outlined.

I appreciate it. Your answers to people are always informative.

Thanks again.
Joanie
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2009-02-18 07:10:53
#5
gkaiseril
Expert
Registered: Feb 23 2006
Posts: 4308
Just to clear up a misunderstanding promoted by the web master. Acrobat/Reader does not support folder level scripts on a server, unless one is using a Citrix service. Next LiveCycle Designer does support Adobe Acrobat JavaScripts on a folder level that are compatible with LiveCycle Designer JavaScirpt. In fact I have posted the folder level code to pass the properties of Acrobat/Reader's identity object using a function or an array created during the initialization of the Acrobat/Reader application.

Acrobat JavaScript can not change the banner page of the printer or other print job information, but it might be possible to add a plugin that could interactivly prompt for the additional data.

George Kaiser

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