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Which Version - Reader / Acrobat / Other

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2009-06-06 06:24:22
sbritton
Registered: Jun 6 2009
Posts: 4

I need some help. We have a web application that creates PDF forms with data (XDP + XML) and it works great. Problem is the finished form needs to be saved or emailed.

I have noticed that users with the free Reader version can only view & print the PDF form...can't save or email. Well they can save, but it is a blank form.

There are others who I suspect have a paid version of Acrobat who can save the form (with the data still in it) and email to other people.

Can anyone tell me what is the least expensive way to get a version of Adobe Acrobat on a computer that will allow the saving and emailing of these forms with their respective data?

The people who need this feature don't need all of the other features of Acrobat Pro, they only work with these forms that are generated for them.

Thanks

My Product Information:
Acrobat Standard 9.1.1, Windows
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2009-06-06 12:04:41
#1
gkaiseril
Expert
Registered: Feb 23 2006
Posts: 4307
Have you looked at the FAQ's anchored at the top of this forum?

Read the one titled [url=http://www.acrobatusers.com/forums/aucbb/viewtopic.php?id=2047]FAQ - How do I Save a Completed PDF Form in Adobe Reader?[/url].

George Kaiser

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2009-06-07 05:32:41
#2
sbritton
Registered: Jun 6 2009
Posts: 4
Thank you for the FAQ, unfortunately that was not exactly what I was looking for. The form is a blank invoice form created from scratch with LiveCycle and saved as a PDF on a web server. It just sits there waiting for further instructions. It is never altered from this point forward.

When the user requests to see a copy of an invoice, the webserver collects the data and creates a XDP file (XML file with some Adobe special tags) and sends the XDP to the user's web browser with the correct MIME type. Included in the XDP file is a reference to the blank invoice form mentioned above.

The user's browser will then automatically merge the data into a blank invoice form on the user's computer in real-time. Essentially the same as giving the client a blank invoice and letting them fill it out. This version of the form and data only exists on the client's computer.

The problem is that some users are allowed to save/email the form with the data in it. Some are not. So clearly this has nothing to do with how the form is created...it is entirely about what version of Adobe is on the end-user's computer.

My question is what is the least expensive version of the reader software that allows a user to save a form with the data?

My casual observations is that this can not be done with Adobe Reader (Free version), but those who have purchased the full version of Adobe Acrobat are allowed to save and email the filled-out form. However I can't nail this down for sure.

The FAQ referenced above further complicates the issue as it suggests that the free version can also save a completed form.

Thanks for your help
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2009-06-07 09:01:56
#3
gkaiseril
Expert
Registered: Feb 23 2006
Posts: 4307
And the users who can not save the form are using what product:

My educated guess is Reader!

If they have Reader and you want them to be able to save or email (saving of the form is required for emailing) the form will need Extended Reader Rights applied to the PDF.

If you do not want to do this, then you can use the submit to a URL scripting page and have the web server script perform the email or add the informationa to a data base and return a completed form to the users web browser for saving or printing.

George Kaiser

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