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Problems with totaling fields on forms

Forum Index > Forms: Acrobat > Problems with totaling fields on forms
2010-10-11 16:18:57
soleydflr
Registered: Oct 11 2010
Posts: 13
Answered

I have Adobe Acrobat 9.0 and I have made a form out of a PDF. I have ten rows that consist of 9 columns. Three fields total in Column 4, another field is numeric and the final column totals the first column total and the second numeric field. Then, each column is totaled down. What happens is if I enter information in the first three fields, the fourth field totals correctly and it's total per column totals correctly. Then I add information in the next few columns and they total correctly. The problem I have is that if any of the information gets changed, it does not update the column totals unless I go to the column total and remove the amount and tab out of it to have it update. Is this normal or is something wrong?

My Product Information:
Acrobat Pro 9.3, Macintosh
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2010-10-11 18:44:39
#1
George_Johnson
Expert
Registered: Jul 6 2008
Posts: 1876
The field calculation order is probably wrong. Try setting it to what makes sense for your form.
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2010-10-12 09:11:05
#2
soleydflr
Registered: Oct 11 2010
Posts: 13
I am not sure what you mean. Can you give me an example.
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2010-10-12 09:30:29
#3
gkaiseril
Online
Expert
Registered: Feb 23 2006
Posts: 4307
Acrobat does not order the field calculations in left to right and then top to button order, but in the order that the fields are created. This can result in a processing order that computes a field's value before all of the other fields that contribute to that total are computed.

You need to be in the form edit mode, "Forms => Edit form in Acrobat" or use the 'Select Object' tool, and then access the 'field calculation oder', "Forms => Edit Fields => Set Field Calculation Order...", and move the fields up or down to set the order of the calculation of the fields from the top (first) to bottom (last) by highlighting the filed name(s) and using the "Up" or "Down" button.

George Kaiser

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2010-10-12 09:54:56
#4
soleydflr
Registered: Oct 11 2010
Posts: 13
Thank you. That seemed to work. One more question...is there a way to not show the .00 that are visible in a totaling field when there is no entries in the fields that make up the total? I have a long form and I don't want to see a column of zeros in empty rows.
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2010-10-12 10:14:01
#5
gkaiseril
Online
Expert
Registered: Feb 23 2006
Posts: 4307
Yes, as long as there are no special currency or percentage symbols in the display.

For any type of calculation, you can add the following 'custom validation script' using the 'Validation' tab:

if(event.value == 0) event.value = "";

George Kaiser

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2010-10-12 11:20:15
#6
soleydflr
Registered: Oct 11 2010
Posts: 13
Does Event.value represent Field Name.value?
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2010-10-12 11:34:16
#7
soleydflr
Registered: Oct 11 2010
Posts: 13
Thank you again. It worked just as you wrote it. I am so happy. You are my hero!
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2010-10-12 12:38:12
#8
gkaiseril
Online
Expert
Registered: Feb 23 2006
Posts: 4307
When focused or in a field, the object is the 'event' object and this object holds the field's properties until you leave the field.

George Kaiser

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