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Submit Form Button does not work

orlow
Registered: Mar 19 2009
Posts: 3

Okay, I've had enough. I've read most of the advice on this issue and nothing is working.

I want to post a form to our web site, with the submit mail button at the end. I make the button, give it the address, with proper syntax mailto:xxxx [at] xxx [dot] com. I "reader enable" the form, send it through the "distribution process" and ....hey, it doesn't work. Instead of sending the mail to the address in the "submit button" it sends the mail to me.

So, I fix that. I test it in Acrobat 8 reader and it works. I post it and have my boss test it, and, you guessed it, it doesn't work. Instead, everyone gets an error message saying "Outlook does not recognize "1".

Now, in Acrobat 4-6, you made a form, added the submit button, saved the file, and posted it, done, bing, bang, boom. Now, you have to send the the form through some kind of cockamamie "distribution" process and the thing still doesn't work. No were does Help tell you that the default user of Acrobat 9, extended is going to be the default e-mail address for the form you distribute no matter what you put for the "submit" button.

Even when I did it right, it doesn't work for anyone else. I can't be the only person having this problem and from what I've read this seems like more of a bug issue than a "learning cuvre' issue.

I just want to have the "submit form" button work like it should. Where is the problem and why do I have to Reader Enable anything. This never had to be done in previous versions until after 6?

Anyone have some helpful hints here? Thanks

My Product Information:
Acrobat Pro Extended 9.1, Windows
thomp
Expert
Registered: Feb 15 2006
Posts: 4411
First, you don't have to use the "Distribution" process. You can do the submit exactly like you used to do back with Acrobat 5.

If you are submitting the entire PDF form, then you have always had to Reader enable the form (if you want Reader Users to be able to use the form). This has never changed. If you are submitting just the form data, then no Reader enabling is necessary, and in this case you cannot use the "Distribute Forms" feature. Because, the "Distribute Form" feature in Acrobat 8 automatically sets up a submit button to email the entire PDF. The data collection feature, for returning forms, requires the entire PDF.

Anyway, if you're having trouble then don't both with Distribute Forms, Just do it the way you've done forms before.

Thom Parker
The source for PDF Scripting Info
[url=http://www.pdfScripting.com]pdfscripting.com[/url]

The Acrobat JavaScript Reference, Use it Early and Often
[url=http://www.adobe.com/devnet/acrobat/javascript.php]http://www.adobe.com/devnet/acrobat/javascript.php[/url]

Thom Parker
The source for PDF Scripting Info
www.pdfscripting.com
Very Important - How to Debug Your Script

vargasa7
Registered: Jan 27 2010
Posts: 3
I'm having a similar problem, but am not experienced with prior versions of Acrobat Pro. After inserting the button and the URL to which the form should be submitted, when I click Distribute Forms, I receive an error stating that "Acrobat cannot detect a Submit button on this form." I'm on OSX 10.4.11 running Acrobat 8.2.0. Perhaps the format I'm using for the URL is incorrect. Do I have to use "mailto:"? I currently have http://XX.X.X.X/~User/ (I'm using my computer as the server for testing purposes).
vargasa7
Registered: Jan 27 2010
Posts: 3
Yup, my syntax was wrong—mailto: is required. Answered my own question!
CathyK
Registered: Feb 1 2010
Posts: 1
I've read several posts on this site and others and can't find an answer. I've set up an interactive PDF form with the submit form button, wanting to send the entire form, have tried the regular button, combo button, etc. and nothing works. When I test in Reader 7 I get a message "This operation is not permitted." I'm using Acrobat 7 Professional on a Mac with 10.3.9. Any suggestions greatly appreciated!

CathyK
thomp
Expert
Registered: Feb 15 2006
Posts: 4411
Since you're on a MAC I'm assuming that this is an AcroForm, not a form made with LiveCycle Designer?

Did you use the "Submit" action for the button? Did you set the URL for the submit to "mailto:..."?

To send an entire PDF in Reader the PDF has to be enabled with Save Rights. This enabling was added to Acrobat in version 8.

Thom Parker
The source for PDF Scripting Info
[url=http://www.pdfScripting.com]pdfscripting.com[/url]

The Acrobat JavaScript Reference, Use it Early and Often
[url=http://www.adobe.com/devnet/acrobat/javascript.php]http://www.adobe.com/devnet/acrobat/javascript.php[/url]

Then most important JavaScript Development tool in Acrobat
[url=http://www.pdfscripting.com/public/34.cfm#JSIntro][b]The Console Window (Video tutorial)[/b][/url]
[url=http://www.acrobatusers.com/tutorials/2006/javascript_console][b]The Console Window(article)[/b][/url]

Thom Parker
The source for PDF Scripting Info
www.pdfscripting.com
Very Important - How to Debug Your Script

mmularski
Registered: Jul 9 2008
Posts: 2
Recently I've experienced problem when distributing a form. After distributing form Acrobat has not set up automaticaly submitt button to the form. I have version 9 Pro on windows Vista.

I woul appreciate any help.
Tx
tkilshaw
Registered: Oct 1 2009
Posts: 5
I have a similar problem. I have a pdf served from a Tomcat Web Server. It has an associated fdf.

These are accessed using a URL like:

http://216.154.214.240:8080/qforms/pdfs/30799_Appraisal_Form_Template.pdf#FDF=http://216.154.214.240:8080/qforms/QFormsServlet?FormID=BI7YQX3PQV12OUJUTGR4&Action=loadThis works perfectly for me but for others it doesn't.

I have a Send button that calls this script:


function SaveForm()
{
var sURL = this.getField( "URL" ).value;
this.submitForm( sURL );
}

I have put debug code into this function and its clear that the submitForm() does get called but it only works on some computers.

The form is not signed or secured in any way. I developed it using Acrobat 7 Professional.

Any ideas?

thanks,
Terry
thomp
Expert
Registered: Feb 15 2006
Posts: 4411
There were security upgrades in Acrobat 8 and 9 that restrict how FDF can be loaded into a PDF from an URL. Basically, the PDF has to be trusted and the FDF has to be at the same domain (which it is in your case). Without any further information I'd suspect that the problem is with Acrobat/Reader 9 users. They'll need to turn on Enhanced Security and list the domain as trusted. There are other ways to handle this issue but they all involve the users doing something to make the PDF trusted.

FDF is so incredibly useful. But this is exactly the reason Adobe is locking it down. Because it does more than just load data. One possible work around is to use a data only format like XFDF that doesn't have the same restrictions on it.

Thom Parker
The source for PDF Scripting Info
[url=http://www.pdfScripting.com]pdfscripting.com[/url]

The Acrobat JavaScript Reference, Use it Early and Often
[url=http://www.adobe.com/devnet/acrobat/javascript.php]http://www.adobe.com/devnet/acrobat/javascript.php[/url]

Then most important JavaScript Development tool in Acrobat
[url=http://www.pdfscripting.com/public/34.cfm#JSIntro][b]The Console Window (Video tutorial)[/b][/url]
[url=http://www.acrobatusers.com/tutorials/2006/javascript_console][b]The Console Window(article)[/b][/url]

Thom Parker
The source for PDF Scripting Info
www.pdfscripting.com
Very Important - How to Debug Your Script

Cobasky
Registered: Dec 29 2010
Posts: 1
Hi,

I have a similar problem, I want to post a form with the submit button. I made the button with the following parameters:
this.submitForm("mailto:xxx [at] xxxxx [dot] com?"
+ "&cc=xxxxx [at] xxxxx [dot] com"
+ "&subject=WebMail Form"
+ "&body=Please find attached my application!"
);

How can I receive it as a PDF instead FDF?
Thanks for your help
dbarndt5
Registered: Apr 22 2011
Posts: 1
I am new to Acrobat forms and I have a similar problem where I created a form using the wizard in v.9.4.3. When the form is distributed, anyone with just Acrobat Reader installed can see the Submit Form button and it works as designed. But, those who have the full version of Acrobat installed on the machine they view the form on, the Submit Form button doesn't appear. Oh yeah, I created the form and couldn't see the button so I was unaware it existed until I asked an end user how they managed to mail the form to my shared resource account (I set it up for the system mailbox to receive the forms) and that's how I discovered the button was already there but I believe I have to create one in order for everyone to see it.

I've searched and looked all over and can't seem to find a solution. Any help in understanding this issue would be very appreciated.

Regards,
Den
thomp
Expert
Registered: Feb 15 2006
Posts: 4411
To Cobasky, Sorry I missed this one, but the answer is to lookup the "cSubmitAs" parameter in the Reference for the "doc.submitForm" function.

To dbarnt5, This issue has been reported by one other poster here (Purple Bar). It has to be a bug in the latest update to 9. When you put a form through the "Distribute" process there is a lot going on under the covers. Among other things Acrobat puts an invisible submit button on the form and adds a document level script for detecting the version of Acrobat and deciding when to display this button. In Acrobat 8 and later the purple bar with a submit button is supposed to be displayed. The submit button is for earlier versions of Acrobat.

If this is a bug in Acrobat, your only solution is to add your own submit button to the PDF.

Thom Parker
The source for PDF Scripting Info
www.pdfscripting.com
Very Important - How to Debug Your Script