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

Setting a link or button to open attachments

smitty55
Registered: Oct 30 2007
Posts: 21
Answered

I am trying to set a link or button or page action to open the attachments panel in a PDF document. I have tried all these 3 different ways. I have access to many computers and I tried these links/buttons on different computers and lo and behold, they work on some computers but not others. So, I am 100% sure I am at least setting it up right.

I think I must be missing something in the set- up of the Adobe (Reader)- why woudl some computers allow the opening of the panel and others, not. Could it be something with the version of Reader?

Does anyone have an idea of what it could be?

Thanks so much in advance,
Janis

My Product Information:
Acrobat Pro 8.1.1, Windows
thomp
Expert
Registered: Feb 15 2006
Posts: 4411
If you are using the "Show/Hide" menu items for the navigation pannel, then yes, there are fatal differences between versions.

In Acrobat 7 this menu item is named "ShowHideAttachments"

In Acrobat 8 it's called "ShowHideFileAttachment"

This name is used to store the button action in your file. Why Adobe would change such a common menu item I can't even begin to guess. But you can get around this irritating issue by writing a script to check the Acrobat version and then execute the appropiate menu item.

See this article:
http://www.acrobatusers.com/tutorials/2008/06/executing_menus_with_javacript/

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

smitty55
Registered: Oct 30 2007
Posts: 21
Thomp, thanks so much for your response.

I read (a few times) the article you suggested and there was only a lonely paragraph at the bottom on version changes and menu file names. What a crazy thing for Adobe to do. Anyway, I couldn't figure out a way to write a javascript that would do what you intended- "writing a script to check the Acrobat version and then execute the appropiate menu item"- especially because my java skills are poor. If you, or anyone else would know how to execute such a javascript- (I think it would absolutely solve my problem), I would greatly appreciate the help.
regards
thomp
Expert
Registered: Feb 15 2006
Posts: 4411
Try this

if(app.viewerVersion < 8)
app.execMenuItem(....);
else
app.execMenuItem(....);

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

sicilianmissy65...
Registered: Dec 1 2010
Posts: 1
thomp wrote:
Try thisif(app.viewerVersion < 8)
app.execMenuItem(....);
else
app.execMenuItem(....);
what would go in the '(...)' above?
I am very poor at javascript, but I am guessing that there is something I would need to fill in there? Am I correct?
thank you...
I too am trying to get my button action to open the attached document in my pdf form..

Dena
Life is like an Airport...
Full of Departures and Arrivals!
La vita รจ come un aeroporto ... Pieno di partenze e arrivi!