Hi,
I have a serious issue using PDF attachments that drive me crazy.
- I have a PDF-enveloppe containing a Reader-enabled-PDF-attachment (a form).
The PDF-envelope is Reader-enabled too.
Both made using Acrobat 9.4 Pro.
The issue is that different versions of Reader don't have the same behavior when the end-user filled the form and wants to close the form:
- Reader 7.1 : the yellow bar of death says that the form can be saved, the end-user is prompted to save-as on another location. After being saved the form is no more Reader-enabled.
Behavior not exactly as expected but it's OK since Reader 7 is not supposed to do it.
EDIT (mistake):
- Reader 8.2 : same behavior as Reader 7 but after saving the form is still Reader-enabled.
It's OK.
- Reader 9.4 : the purple bar of death says that the form cannot be saved, and the end-user is not prompted to save, nor prompted about datas loss…
When Extracted or Save-as from Reader, the form is still Reader-enabled and usable as expected.
- Reader X.1 : same as behavior as Reader 9.
This is NOT the expected behavior, and more, IMHO this is a silly and dangerous behavior…
(As the attachment is a long and complex PDF form some not-prompted-to-save users may want to hang me!)
So:
- did I mess something?
- is it a bug?
- Reader-enabling the envelope or not didn't change those behaviors, is it expected ?
- are Reader's team developers serious? ;-)
Here is the link to download my sample files: http://abracadabrapdf.net/parking/Envelopes2test.zip
Serious issue using Reader-enabled PDF-attachments
2011-10-11 07:11:30
Answered
2011-10-11 07:34:32
#1
In your sample "Enveloppe2-Enabled.pdf" the attachment is not Reader-extended, it's just secured. In this case filling in the form fields doesn't dirty the document so there will not be a save prompt.
2011-10-11 08:15:53
#2
In your sample "Enveloppe2-Enabled.pdf" the attachment is not Reader-extended, it's just secured. In this case filling in the form fields doesn't dirty the document so there will not be a save prompt.
For sure, the attachment is Reader-enabled, but Reader 9/X says no…Extract it and try to use it as a single file.
2011-10-11 08:58:19
#3
If your form is an attachment (i.e. lives within an envelope) then it can't be Reader-extended while still in the context of the envelope, unless you extend it using LiveCycle RE - the feature extensions available via Acrobat don't permit adding or changing attachments.
Hence when the form is opened by clicking on the panel, Reader knows it can't be saved into the original location (no attachment permissions), and as it only exists in temporary memory the "save" button has no meaning. If the form is extracted onto the desktop, the extensions re-activate as now the user has permission to write to the file.
Hence when the form is opened by clicking on the panel, Reader knows it can't be saved into the original location (no attachment permissions), and as it only exists in temporary memory the "save" button has no meaning. If the form is extracted onto the desktop, the extensions re-activate as now the user has permission to write to the file.
2011-10-11 09:34:30
#4
(I edited my first message to correct a little mistake).
Reader 7 and 8 allows and prompt user to save-as the completed attached form, without data loss.
Why Reader 9 and X can't?
???
If your form is an attachment (i.e. lives within an envelope) then it can't be Reader-extended while still in the context of the envelope, unless you extend it using LiveCycle RE - the feature extensions available via Acrobat don't permit adding or changing attachments.
Hence when the form is opened by clicking on the panel, Reader knows it can't be saved into the original location (no attachment permissions), and as it only exists in temporary memory the "save" button has no meaning. If the form is extracted onto the desktop, the extensions re-activate as now the user has permission to write to the file.
I understand why Reader 9 and X says that the attached form is not Reader-enabled, but why Reader 7 and 8 says that the attached form is Reader-enabled if it's not?Hence when the form is opened by clicking on the panel, Reader knows it can't be saved into the original location (no attachment permissions), and as it only exists in temporary memory the "save" button has no meaning. If the form is extracted onto the desktop, the extensions re-activate as now the user has permission to write to the file.
Reader 7 and 8 allows and prompt user to save-as the completed attached form, without data loss.
Why Reader 9 and X can't?
???
2011-10-12 06:32:28
#5
Please help, my customer is in the street outside my house, waiting for me with a gun in each hand…
;-)
;-)
2011-10-12 08:24:45
#6
Accepted Answer
I suspect it's simply a change in policy - falsely identifying a form as RE in 7 and 8 was a bug, but the behavior in 9 and X does make sense when you consider the lack of "attachments" rights in Acrobat.Why is it necessary to put the form in an envelope?
2011-10-12 09:30:49
#7
Thanks for your help, I guess I will use Portfolios instead of simple PDFs since they fortunately do the job with Reader 8 too.
;-)
See them in action, some are freely available on this page (clic green buttons): http://www.securibail.fr/Telechargement-Securi-Bail-gratuit-i-12.php
;-)
Why is it necessary to put the form in an envelope?
This was a sample, we need to put several forms in each envelope.See them in action, some are freely available on this page (clic green buttons): http://www.securibail.fr/Telechargement-Securi-Bail-gratuit-i-12.php