These forums are now Read Only. If you have an Acrobat question, ask questions and get help from one of our experts.

Submitting Encrypted PDF Data to Server?

CautiousChaos
Registered: Oct 2 2009
Posts: 6

Greetings,

I've got an I-9 document that has been encrypted and password protected by the Federal Government to prevent alterations to the form's physical makeup.

The encrypted form allows a user to enter data into fields, but not to change the document's content otherwise. I want to submit the form data to a server for parsing and processing.

Normally I would add a submit button to the form. However, because the form is encrypted it does not allow alterations and as such I am prevented from placing the submit button on the document.

Is anyone knowledgeable as to how this might be accomplished despite these limitations? Perhaps, is there some way to invoke a form's submission from outside of the form (i.e., a submit button outside of the form doing the job of a submit button in the form?)

Thank you for any insight you might have...
-cc

My Product Information:
Acrobat Pro 8.1.6, Windows
Merlin
Acrobat 9ExpertTeam
Registered: Mar 1 2006
Posts: 766
What is a "I-9 document" ???
CautiousChaos
Registered: Oct 2 2009
Posts: 6
Sorry about that. An I-9 form is used when you hire someone in the States. It's a complex form, but in the scenario I am working with any encrypted PDF document will do.

-cc
thomp
Expert
Registered: Feb 15 2006
Posts: 4411
You have a number of different options. For example you can extract the data in your desired format with the "Forms > Manage Form Data > Export" button and then find some other way of passing the data to the server script.Buy the easiest thing to do is to run the JavaScript SubmitForm function from the console window. This is identical to having a submit button on the form. If this is something you do alot then it's probably worth while to create a toolbar button or menu item that performs this task for you.

Here's an article on using the subForm function:
http://www.acrobatusers.com/tutorials/2006/submitting_data

You'll find info on the console window below,

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

CautiousChaos
Registered: Oct 2 2009
Posts: 6
That sounds interesting - but is there a way to do this programatically? In essence, the scenario would be to have an HTML page that invokes and renders a PDF document then have the ability to invoke a submit action on the document. The HTML page would have a control that invokes a function within the PDF.

Hope that makes a little sense.
-cc
thomp
Expert
Registered: Feb 15 2006
Posts: 4411
Yes this is possible, but not trivial. Take a look at this example that uses the HostContainer object in Acrobat JavaScript to communication with JavaScript in the containing HTML page.

http://www.windjack.com/WindJack/Browser2PDF/brwsr2acroJS.htm

Notice that the interaction is problematic. It works in one direction but not the other. This is because of varying security restrictions for different browsers/users.

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